ã€ŠDivinity Reforgedã€‹


 Restless Night (Prologue)

    Anyone could have told the boy that venturing so far into the earth was a bad idea.

    In fact, his parents had told him many, many times to not go into the forests, and to not venture into any caves. The boy knew it was a bad idea. He lived in a village surrounded by death and it¡¯s stark reminders. Growing up, he had heard the stories of people who were found in clearings or in front of the village gates, mangled and not even left with a complete body.

    Everyone knew entering the forest was suicide. The caves were even more so.

    But he had no choice, this poor boy.

    They had been coming at nightfall, you see. Shadows like a corner of the night, fleeting and wrathful. The first night, five men were found dead, their beds glimmering wetly with spilt blood. The second night saw another five men pass violently into the dark, and the third had the dead reaching fifteen in total.

    The village went into a state of panic. They had never encountered anything like this, and the elders were quick to blame unseen gods for their plight.

    ¡°The Betrayer must be behind this!¡± They called, attempting to rally the villagers. But they were too little, too late. Someone had already acted, and the villagers followed her into the forest, towards a hopeful escape.

    The boy was one of those who left. He had no choice. His parents, normally so fearful of the forest and its inhabitants, had taken him with them. As it turned out, their fear had been wise, and entering the forest was a foolish suicide.

    He was the last one left, or so he felt. He had run after seeing what happened to those who entered the forest. He didn¡¯t run in any particular direction, but could feel the pinpricks of dead on his back, eyes following his blind rush.

    He arrived at a cave. And kept running.

    By some miracle, the boy didn¡¯t encounter any of the normal underground citizens. No monsters of the dark reached out to take him, and his path forward was clear. So he traveled deeper and deeper still, into the bowels of the earth.

    At some point, the caves stopped being caves. The boy didn¡¯t notice the transition¡ªhe was too concerned with escaping the sights that drove him mad. But, the coarse and rocky cave walls and hanging stalactites gave way to something more clearly structured. The twisting and turning halls of the caves, so confusing and labyrinthine in nature, gave way to something more logical. The way forward straightened out, walls, ceiling, and floor grew more defined, the edges sharper. A hallway soon took shape, hewn out of the rock itself and angling steeply downwards.

    The boy continued his mad rush, hours and hours after having started. Foam was now dripping from his mouth, exhaustion catching up to him.

    And yet the end was in sight. A set of massive iron doors blocked his way, rusted almost to the core.

    The boy stopped, mad eyes looking warily at the doors. It looked like there had been something inscribed on them at one point, but no longer was it legible. Even if it had been, the boy couldn¡¯t read. Nobody in the village could.

    He reached out a hand. The metal was warm to the touch.

    A dull thud rang out as some hidden mechanism was engaged. The doors swung open slightly, badly startling the boy, who ran back the way he came for a while.

    It took time for him to realize that nothing had come from the doors, and so he returned, oh-so cautiously. He approached the doors like a wild animal¡ªslowly, never letting his eyes off them.

    There was now a gap between them, just enough space to slip through. He hesitated for a long, long moment, before slowly walking past the doors.

    They would surely be able to keep out the monsters that killed his parents, right?

    Past the doors, there was a large open space. The long and straight hallway widened out into a circular chamber. It was pitch black inside, and gave the boy an odd feeling inside, like something stirred in his bowels¡ªno, higher, in the heart. It made his body feel hot. But that was one of the few things he noticed in his addled state.

    There were countless other things he did not.

    For instance, the entire hallway and cave system should have been so completely dark as to render eyes useless. The boy didn¡¯t think about this fact, nor the oddity of this place actually being dark, all of the sudden. He wasn¡¯t quite in the right mind to grasp these things, unfortunately.

    He groped around in the dark, blindly searching for anything beyond the doors. The boy panicked for a moment, feeling like the darkness pressed at him much like death would. He panicked even more when the clinking sounds of metal shifting came from the middle of the room. He wasn¡¯t alone.

    A voice drifted over to him, hoarse, scratchy and somewhat female sounding, but the structure of her words unknown. He ran back the way he came after hearing that voice. It trailed after him, unknown words begging his return. The doors thudded shut after the boy left this time, and he ran all the way back out to the cave entrance, then the forest, and made the second miracle happen by running all the way back to the village before collapsing of sheer exhaustion.

    The boy¡¯s name was Titus Mead. He really shouldn¡¯t have become anyone important, and his fate was to die in that forest with his parents. But, fate broken, his future was thrown wide open. Only 10 years old at the time of these events, he became a legendary figure in the village by returning alive, even when everyone else who left did not. It was a time which would be known as the exodus, caused by shadowy figures killing men inside the village, They lost a fourth of their population that day. And ironically enough, those shadowy figures didn¡¯t return after those people left.

    <hr>

    Titus Mead sat behind the town hall house, watching the dirt. Well, not so much watching it as staring while thinking deeply. He did that a lot, these days. It became a habit more and more as his madness faded, memories of that night fading into the darkest, deepest crevasse of his mind.

    He knew he wasn¡¯t normal. There was something different, like he could see something others couldn¡¯t. Why was it he seemed to think more than anyone else in the village, he wondered. All the other men and boys were content to farm their plot of land and chase skirts, or raise a proper family if they had married. Titus was 17 now, and the elders had declared him an adult this very morning and given him a plot of land all his own¡ªnever mind that it was his father¡¯s, now defunct and repurposed for him to use and grow old on.

    He felt like he didn¡¯t want this. He had been to the healer and talk about his misgivings, and the old woman had told him it was normal to have doubts about something like this. He didn¡¯t talk to her about the other issues he was having. They seemed too personal to share. Like, the little nubs he felt growing from his head, under his thick black hair, or the raw strength he could feel coursing through his veins on occasion. Sometimes his vision improved for no reason, fading back to normal soon after. And even worse, he¡¯d experienced the same thing with his hearing.

    Titus had already known about the things said behind his back, but hearing them from the lips of people who thought him far enough away burned at his soul.

    How was he supposed to talk about these changes? Most boys only acted like stags in rut with the onset of puberty, but he was somehow undergoing a more fundamental change.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    But, he didn¡¯t have any intention of hiding these things any longer. He was an adult now, and maybe it could be something normal¡ª though Titus knew he was just fooling himself with such thoughts. Regardless, he¡¯d let these strange things burn away at him for far too long.

    Steeling himself, Titus got up from the shadow of town hall, and made his way to the outskirts of the village, seeking the healer once more. If anyone knew about the changes of a body and what they meant, it was her.

    Her hut wasn¡¯t too far away, and around ten minutes of wandering towards the outskirts of the little town brought him to the healer¡¯s door. He entered without knocking, knowing the relationship between him and the healer to be comparable with actual family. Indeed, his arrival came as no surprise to anyone inside.

    ¡°Titus, what can I do for you today?¡± Asked the kindly old woman as she ground some herbs up with mortar and pestle. Off to the side, young Maria sat watching the process, mentally taking note. She was the healer¡¯s apprentice, and was expected to take over the craft once the old woman¡¯s arthritis caught up with her.

    ¡°I just need to talk.¡± Said Titus. The healer nodded, and indicated for him to sit while she finished up her medicine. He took a seat, perching awkwardly while the healer ground up the medicine with well-practiced movements.

    He¡¯d talked with the healer about a great many things, especially after finally coming out of his madness. There was healing not only in herbs and drugs or magic, but also in the simple act of listening, and the old woman lent a willing ear. Titus considered her the sole reason for his continued existence after returning from that damned forest.

    She took the ground up stuff¡ªseeds, from the looks of the paste created, and dumped it into a bubbling cauldron in the corner, under which was a mostly dead fire whose wood had been burnt to white a while ago, leaving only smoldering embers to gently heat the big pot suspended above.

    The old woman was an alchemist. The only one in their little community, actually. He also suspected that the woman had the highest level out of all the people he¡¯d met, but didn¡¯t have any good reason for thinking this. It was just a feeling, mostly.

    She washed her hands off in a bucket of water to the side, and ambled over to where Titus stood.

    ¡°Come with me, we can talk somewhere more comfortable.¡± She said, putting a frail looking hand on his shoulder, and steering him towards another room with surprising strength.

    ¡°Sit down, sit down my dear Titus. How can I help you today?¡± Asked the healer, groaning slightly as she sat in a chair opposite his own.

    Titus leaned back, wondering where he should start.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s something wrong with me.¡± He said, deciding to simply jump to the meat of the matter.

    ¡°Hmm. Well, yes.¡± Replied the old woman. ¡°Generally, everyone has something ¡®wrong¡¯ with them. It would help if you elaborated, Titus. When you tell me something¡¯s wrong, what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­um¡­my body has been acting¡­off¡­.for the past few years, in fact.¡±

    ¡°My dear boy, please don¡¯t tell me I have to explain puberty to you. Again, I might add.¡±

    ¡°No! No, it¡¯s not that! Or, uh, it might be. But I doubt it. After all, I don¡¯t see anyone here sprouting horns.¡±

    ¡°Horns, you say?¡± Asked the old healer, suddenly sitting more upright. She had a serious look on her face. ¡°Come here, so I can get a look at this.¡±

    Titus complied, kneeling down in front of the woman¡¯s seat, and parting a section of his hair above and in front of his ear. A little nub grew there, with a small bit of a hardened black material peaking out from the skin.

    It was a horn, for sure. Titus thought so, and the healer confirmed this odd phenomena.

    ¡°Now, am I correct in assuming that there is another horn growing on the opposite side of your head?¡± She asked, to which Titus nodded.

    ¡°Hmm, they seem to be growing from the temporal bone of the skull. How odd. And have they given you any sort of discomfort or pain?¡±

    ¡°Just some itching. Nothing more, though. That¡¯s not it, though.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s more?¡±

    Titus nodded. ¡°Yes. Last week, I was chopping wood for the Bethlehem family, just to earn a little more money. And I, um, broke the axe.¡± He said, chagrinned. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I was swinging that hard and all, but it broke anyway. The entire handle just snapped in two, and the axe head itself was buried halfway into the stump I was chopping on. I think it might still be there¡­. Then, about 4 days before that, I was just fooling around by the pond, jumping stones. One of them got all the way to the other side and shattered itself on a boulder. I¡­I just get this sudden feeling of strength, and it goes away after a little bit.¡±

    ¡°That certainly is¡­unusual, to say the least. More has happened though, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Said the healer with a knowing look. ¡°If I had to guess, I would say that your hearing also improves for no reason, that sometimes your skin feels like harder, that food might taste like so much more at times, right? Your eyesight might get better, things like that.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± cried Titus. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s happening to me?!¡±

    ¡°As it happens, I do. I¡¯ve just never seen it for myself, nor did I think it possible to happen in a small backwater like this. It¡¯s called atavism, or bloodline regression. Fetch me the status reader, Titus. I will show you what I mean.¡±

    He nodded, and left the room to grab a smoky crystal ball about the size of an orange. Maria, who was still waiting in the mixing room, looked at Titus curiously.

    ¡°The old woman wants it.¡± He said, by way of explanation while picking up the reader and hurrying back into the other room. The healer was standing now, and turned towards Titus as he returned.

    ¡°Good, now hold that out, please.¡± She asked. Titus extended his arms, and she put a hand on top of the ball.

    ¡°Status, open.¡± Called the healer, while a warm current flowed from her hand into the ball, and then jumped to Titus. He felt the current twist around inside him somewhere, giving the odd feeling of something crawling under his skin. He nearly shuddered, but stopped himself.

    Between the two of them, a glowing blue window came into being, with numerous lines and squiggles on it. It took the healer a moment to read the window over, and Titus didn¡¯t miss how her eyes widened a little. Obviously, she was seeing something surprising in the white squiggles, though Titus had no damn idea what they meant.

    The healer took her hand off the reader, and the blue window faded from view. They both sat down again.

    ¡°So?¡± asked Titus expectantly.

    ¡°It is indeed atavism. It looks like you had the blood of a demon somewhere in your line, and it¡¯s coming to the forefront now.¡±

    Titus sat in silence a moment, mulling this revelation over.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying, I¡¯m not human?¡±

    ¡°You still are, for now. The process looks like it¡¯ll take a while, and you will likely die before becoming a full-blood demon. Humans normally don''t live long enough for that. However, elements of that demonic blood are emerging, which is causing these changes you are undergoing.¡±

    ¡°But¡­how?¡±

    ¡°Normally, atavism is caused by a trigger of some sort, enabling the blood of your forefathers to come forward. In most cases, those who undergo atavism are either incredibly strong and intentionally induce the process through the forced stimulation of their blood, or they belong to a powerful family, who can induce it for them while still weak.¡±

    ¡°Then how come this is happening to me? I mean, I¡¯m just¡­a kid, a human kid. Why am I turning into a freaking demon, of all things?! Aren¡¯t those things a legendary existence?¡±

    ¡°Out here, they might as well be.¡± Muttered the old healer under her breath, too low for Titus to hear. She spoke louder, this time to Titus himself. ¡°Think about things.¡± She urged him. ¡°Remember, and try to recall where this might have happened. People don¡¯t go into bloodline regression for no reason¡ªthere is always a trigger. The initial cause could occur years before any symptoms come up.¡±

    Titus turned a nasty shade of green, recalling a night unlike any other, a night he was wholly unwilling to remember in its entirety. The healer obviously noticed his discomfort, and realized what was causing it.

    ¡®So, it would be that after all. He never was willing to tell me what happened, or how he survived.¡¯ Thought the woman. She wondered briefly if she should push Titus towards recalling the events, so that she might finally get to the bottom of a good many mysteries.

    The healer decided not to, in the end. She sent Titus on his way, giving him reassurances that his atavism is nothing to be worried about, and he should be fine.

    She did secretly send something to look after Titus, and make sure that nothing happened without her knowing. Otherwise, the healer settled down to deal with her bitch of an apprentice. The town elders dumped her off on the healer about 5 months ago, thinking that the head elder¡¯s granddaughter would somehow be able to pick up herbology without even being able to fucking read!

    The healer sighed, well and truly sick of this small backwoods village.

    Meanwhile, Titus made his way to the house and land given to him that very day. One of the perks ofofficallybecoming an adult was that he had his own space now. No longer would he have to board with the rest of the kids orphaned by the Exodus. People thought the parents of those children were selfish for having left them behind, no matter how foolish traveling into the forest was. However, Titus always thought that it was a good thing they weren¡¯t dragged along. It was good that the death toll wasn¡¯t higher.

    Rooming with those kids was annoying though. He liked peace, and quiet, and was happy to now have a house of his own to achieve this with. He disliked the part about having to farm, though. Peace and quiet was all well and good¡ªhe just didn¡¯t want to work for it, is all.

    Which is why he was dismayed upon arriving at the house, and finding out how much he would have to repair. It made sense, after all, considering that the house had been unoccupied for the last 7 years. But still, it was annoying that he would have to dust so much off, and ready the place to live in.

    The sun was still high in the sky at the time he started cleaning, and making the space livable again. By the time it fell, he had only managed to clean a single bedroom. Thankfully, the bed and furniture was well made, and only required a dusting. In fact, the bedroom itself didn¡¯t really need anything beyond that, and Titus quickly finished things up, leaving the room clean and tidy.

    But, he had forgotten that this used to be his parents¡¯ room. Hell, he was likely conceived on that very bed. A nasty thought, but one which passed his mind regardless, and left him feeling¡­.lonely.

    No, not in that sense, but more melancholic loneliness.

    Titus hadn¡¯t thought about his parents in so long, he realized. They were normally pushed away at the slightest thought, shoved into the same dark corner of his mind occupied by that night. Some memories were too painful to touch, and the faded smiles of his parents were among the most painful. He couldn¡¯t even properly remember their faces anymore.

    And now, combing though his old house, his old parents¡¯ bedroom¡ªit dredged things up best left alone, and brought things closer to the surface than they needed to be.

    Titus went to sleep early that night, just as the sun touched the horizon. He didn¡¯t sleep on the bed, but instead on the floor, and fell into the nightmares all too easily.

    And he remembered things best left forgotten, including the voice of a woman trapped deep underground, wrapped in chains.

 Chapter 1: Ordinary Things

    Titus tossed about in his sleep, restlessly twisting up inside a thin blanket on the floor of his parents¡¯ old room. The sun was currently peeking up over the horizon, shyly lighting up the little town with its morning rays. Some of that light made it through a window that had been boarded up the day before, splashing warmly onto Titus¡¯ face. A rooster call echoed from one of the neighboring farms, pushing Titus awake and loosening the nightmare¡¯s grasp on him.

    He bolted upright, panting heavily and with sweat glistening brightly on his brow. His eyes were wide open and flitted about the room in a panic. It took him a few seconds to remember where he was, what had happened.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯m an adult now. This is my house.¡± Muttered Titus to himself, by way of reassurance. He remembered now, something that happened that night seven years ago.

    Not that he wanted to remember¡ªit had been pushed on him while sleeping, forcing him to relive his insane flight into the bowels of the earth and what waited for him down there. He recalled that voice, worn and cracked in the dark, and the rattle of chains as someone desperately called for his return.

    Titus knelt on the ground, staring at the old floorboards of his parents¡¯ house. He sat like that, not wanting to remember his dreams but going over them carefully anyway. There was something important about what happened that night, and he had a feeling those events were still affecting his present life in a rather large way.

    Put simply, he wanted answers, but was memories containing them terrified him somewhat. So, after thinking things over for a little while, he shoved everything into the back of his mind like usual, and got up. There was a wonderfully dirty house to clean, and this was fully capable of distracting him for a good long while.

    The house itself was relatively simple, built by Titus¡¯ grandfather and maintained by his father. It had four rooms total, and an outhouse that Titus really didn¡¯t want to check, given how long it had been sitting in the open.

    He had cleaned out the large bedroom yesterday, which left the small bedroom, the living space/central room, and the storage room to clean up. The small bedroom was in much the same state as his parents¡¯ room, and would only need a brief dusting up. Maybe he would have to change out the bedding and sheets, though Titus supposed he could also just get rid of all that, and turn the room into a work place of some sorts. He wasn¡¯t planning on needing another sleeping room for a while yet.

    The living space was in worse repair, with numerous leaks in the roof and broken furniture littering the packed dirt floor. There was grass growing in certain places, and moss covering some walls. The entire room would need to be deeply cleaned, and the repair work would be extensive. Titus was happy about this, since it took his mind off those dreams¡ªeven though he normally hated doing heavy work.

    So, he spent the morning gathering up all the broken bits of halfway-rotted wood, and carrying them out of the house. Unfortunately, it seemed that most the furniture fragments were still too soaked to use as firewood of any sort. Titus guessed that the storm which had rolled over their little town a few days ago had also freshly dampened the inside of his house. Thankfully, almost all the damage had been localized to the living room. The other rooms had been almost entirely untouched, though Titus didn¡¯t look in the storage room long enough to ascertain it¡¯s condition for certain. He assumed it was mostly fine, though. That room was built to last, and the whole house would have to fall before something happened to it.

    He set the soaked wooded fragments outside, hoping that they would be dry within the week¡ªif another storm didn¡¯t come by, that is. By the time all the broken furniture was out of the house, he had a nice little stack of drying wood by the side of the house, set out in the sun to expedite the process.

    Next, Titus set out with a borrowed axe in hand. Knowing that the house would likely need fresh wood for some repairs, he had asked to use the Barrow¡¯s axe. They were a nice family who lived near the place where all Exodus orphans were being housed, and he¡¯d interacted with them a good many times before, often doing all sorts of odd jobs for them. Titus called in a favor, and they gladly let him use their axe until he had his own.

    Titus made his way to a grove of trees planted by the first villagers several centuries ago, and selected a nice looking tree. It was already quite old, and clearly just a single step away from dying naturally. He decided to help it on it¡¯s way, and shouldered his axe while sizing the tree up.

    Then, he carefully wound up for the first strike. The axe dug into the tree with a dull thump, it¡¯s blade angled downwards. It took a good shake from Titus to dislodge it from the tree¡¯s bark before winding up again for another strike, this time going up into the tree from waist level. Repeating these two motions over and over left Titus swimming in sweat, and his progress could be seen in the V shaped wedge of wood missing from the tree, cutting a little less than halfway through it¡¯s trunk.

    Not willing to give himself a break, Titus circled around to the other side of the tree, opposite of the chunk missing. He hefted the axe, and swung straight at the tree. He noticed the sudden strength infusing his limbs too late, however. The axe swung right through the tree, violently separating trunk from body. Great cracking noises echoed through the small grove as the tree found itself tipping over well before Titus had intended it to. Luckily, the tree at least fell in the planned direction, though he didn¡¯t stick around to see that. Titus ran away from the falling tree as fast as he could, knowing that several townspeople had been crushed before in freak accidents.

    That strange strength still coursed through his veins though, so he ran quite a bit faster than he intended and quickly lost control.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Fuuuuuuck!¡± Cried Titus as he crashed right into another tree, likely leaving a rather unflattering imprint of his face judging by the sheer force of the collision.

    He shakily got up, looking back at the now felled tree behind him. Inhaling sharply while reaching up to touch his nose, Titus was surprised to find that his nose wasn¡¯t broken after having been introduced to a tree at great speeds. It wasn¡¯t even bleeding, though his face stung quite a bit in general. He shakily walked back over to the tree he had chopped down, and got back to work¡ªthis time without any unusual strength.

    It took a good portion of the day for Titus to finish things up. In the end, he had a nicely sized stack of new roofing shingles, roughly hewn but good enough for the moment. He carted most of these shingles to the house, and got up onto the roof. The leaking sections were easily identified, and the shingles surrounding that area got torn out and replaced by new ones. Most of the afternoon was spent fixing the roof, and Titus had a leak-proof house at the end of the day to show for it.

    Then, at the end of the day, he left, walking towards the healer¡¯s cottage. It was a short walk, and had him passing by a good number of houses.

    Now that the sun was setting, people were lighting up their tallow candles or simply going to bed. People in a rural farming village rose and set with the sun, as it dictated their sleeping habits and patterns for the most part. There were exceptions of course, like the community leaders or the healer and her young apprentice; as they could afford to stay up later and wake up after the sun had risen. Titus wanted to see the former, since they had a system with food set up. Last night had been the first time in a while that he hadn¡¯t eaten with them¡ªthough, coming to think of it, Titus couldn¡¯t remember eating anything at all last night. He normally loved his food, so this struck him as odd. He decided it was likely a result of the emotional turmoil from yesterday.

    He had a hearty breakfast of hare right after waking up that morning, so any hunger from the day before had been quickly forgotten, and the absence of dinner must have slipped his mind.

    However, Titus¡¯ hunger felt like a rabid wolf clawing at the inside of his stomach as the sun dipped below the horizon, the day¡¯s work catching up with him. He thanked the gods as a familiar house came into view, well lit with oil and wicker lanterns in the windows compared to the thick and smoky tallow candles of the ordinary farmer¡¯s households. The healer¡¯s lanterns smelled a damn sight better as well, convincing Titus that she must put herbs of some kind into the oil itself, which then diffused through the entire house and added to it¡¯s comfortable scent.

    He went right on up to the wooden door, and knocked briefly before pulling it open.

    ¡°Hello? Is there room for a poor, hungry boy at your table?¡± Called Titus as he came in.

    ¡°For certain!¡± Replied the healer with some amusement. ¡°However, I don¡¯t think there is room for a strapping young man. I¡¯m afraid those types must eat on the floor.¡±

    Titus found the healer and Maria sitting at a small table in the same side room where he had discovered the demonic bloodline running through his veins. Maria gave him a dismissive look, while the healer bade him to sit and eat, rescinding her teasing about eating on the floor.

    ¡°How goes the home repairs?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Pretty good.¡± Said Titus between bites of a rather succulent haunch of meat. ¡°I got the roof done today, and the central room cleared out.¡±

    ¡°Is the rest of the house in pretty bad shape?¡±

    ¡°Central room was the worst of it. The roof was pretty badly damaged there, so a lot of water got in. Had to take everything out¡ªit was all scrap wood, pretty much.¡±

    ¡°And the rest of the rooms are fine?¡±

    ¡°Mostly. There¡¯s still dusting to do and bedding to change, but most everything¡¯s still intact.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. And your parent¡¯s stuff?¡± Asked the healer, looking at Titus in an oddly intense way. He noticed, and answered somewhat hesitantly.

    ¡°Erm, I haven¡¯t looked yet. I¡¯ll probably end up tossing the useless stuff and keeping the rest.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t throw your mother¡¯s trinkets away. See if Maria here wants any first.¡± Said the old woman, knowing full well that those would be among the items classified as ¡®useless.¡¯ And, they contained too many memories for Titus to comfortably keep them. He would rather that his parents, the forest, all the monsters, and those caves never existed in the first place, and trinkets like his mother¡¯s only served to break that wish apart.

    ¡°And, you still need proper bedding, yes?¡± Asked the healer. ¡°I can give you an extra set I have.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no¡ªyou keep that. I¡¯m fine sleeping on the floor.¡±

    ¡°I am not having you sleep in the dirt like some ruffian. Take the bedding, and rest properly.¡± She commanded.

    Titus threw his arms up in bemused surrender.

    ¡°Fine, have it your way, granny. I¡¯ll have to take your charity.¡±

    The healer muttered something about age and impertinent brats under her breath.

    Titus laughed, and finished up his dinner. The healer had Maria fetch the extra bedding from a storage room, and she handed the cloth bundle to Titus sullenly. He accepted them with grace, and thanked the two for their hospitality.

    As he was walking out the door, Titus had another flash of improved hearing, and could clearly hear Maria complaining about him.

    ¡°Why do we have to put up with that gloomy guy, anyway? It¡¯s not like he¡¯s able to help around here. All he can do is farm.¡± She said.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll find that people are more than what they can do, my dear Maria.¡± Countered the healer. ¡°Titus in particular is likely the most interesting person in this village.¡±

    ¡°I doubt that.¡± Huffed Maria. ¡°He¡¯s going to die in that little farm of his parents, like everyone else. At least I have the change of learning to heal, or to lead like my father and his fathers before him.¡±

    ¡°Did you know that most powerful beings in this world come from nothing?¡± Said the healer, with a profound note in her voice. ¡°Sure, a good many of them come form established families, or backgrounds with certain advantages. But, the truly terrifying monsters whom walk this earth made themselves into what they are. The path to power can only be achieved by one¡¯s own will.¡±

    Titus couldn¡¯t hear anything past that, as the improved hearing faded quickly. The healer¡¯s act of defending him to Maria, even without him in the room, warmed his heart somewhat. It was nice to know you could rely on people.

    It was easy to set up the bedding back at his house. Titus took off all the old sheets and put them into the now-clean central room, before changing out the straw mattress for something fresher. The new sheets went on top, and Titus collapsed in a heap onto the bed, exhausted from the day¡¯s work. He hadn¡¯t even tried tilling the soil yet, which had to be done in the next week before he missed the planting season. But that was a worry for another day, and Titus drifted into an initially dreamless sleep for the night.

    At least, it was dreamless until a shadowy figure entered his house, and came to stand beside his bed. The dreams came quickly, as if the figure had summoned them, and they quickly turned to memories and nightmares under its watchful gaze.

 Chapter 2: Nightmares Manifest

    ¡°Come back, come back to me! I can do whatever you want, please, just come back!¡± Cried the voice from the dark as Titus ran away. He understood now, the words translating inside his head somehow.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­leave me here!¡± Sobbed the voice¡¯s owner, the doors slamming shut after Titus had left.

    ~

    ¡°Run, Titus!¡± Yelled his parents. Nightmares of flesh and steel bit into the villagers around them. Titus saw violence and death for the first time as men and women screamed, limbs torn asunder and long ropy entrails got scattered into the treetops. The sheer brutality in the monsters¡¯ assault was stunning.

    Titus stood frozen, mouth agape as his young mind struggle to process what was in front of him.

    ¡°Run!¡± His parents called again, their own legs frozen in abject terror as one of the shadow beasts took note of them, and slowly, casually, painfully turned towards them. Titus couldn¡¯t turn away even during the very last moment, when the creature reached them, and lovingly lowered its shadow-bound head.

    The top half of his mother vanished, her legs standing upright for an impossibly long moment of time before they crumpled, a dark wetness sliding down the skirt she had been wearing. A soundless scream tore out from Titus¡¯s throat, unheard over the ringing in his ears. His father crumpled to his knees, and pawed his way towards his mother¡¯s legs. He grabbed at them, shaking the limbs as if she were only sleeping. Hysteria made the sight almost funny. Then one of his father''s arms was torn off, the skin and muscles tearing apart, leaving him screaming in agony.

    For a brief moment, Titus caught his father¡¯s eyes. What he saw reflected in those eyes convinced him to finally move his legs, to run away from that nightmare.

    ~

    ¡°I can give you power! Please, just come back!¡± Yelled the voice, not knowing that Titus could not understand, no matter what. ¡°Please¡­.¡± She called, voice cracking in the deep darkness past those doors.

    ~

    "....please........."

    ~

    <hr>

    Titus bolted upright in his bed, sweat pouring from his brow, and with the sheets tangled all around him.

    It was a near repeat of how he had woken up the day before, with the exception that he was in bed this time instead of on the floor. He didn¡¯t feel rested in the slightest¡ªIf anything, he felt more tired after having woken up than he had before going to sleep.

    ¡°Damn bad dreams.¡± Mumbled Titus, keenly recalling the contents of his nightmares. They were nearly always the same, showing him the events of that night over and over and over again, like some kind of demented cycle. Some nights it was better, the events somewhat blurred. Not this time, unfortunately. Titus experienced the memories in their full glory, from the death of his parents, to his run down the cave, and the unintelligible voice in the dark.

    Wait, that wasn¡¯t quite right. Titus grew confused thinking about it.

    That voice¡­it never said anything he could make out. Never once, in any of the dreams, nor in real life. It had spouted what sounded like random gibberish.

    But¡­Titus could understand it in that dream just now. He clearly remembered the voice¡¯s pleading words, and what she said.

    ¡®How unusual. That¡¯s never happened before.¡¯ He thought. There truly was no precedent.

    However, the whole matter got pushed away very quickly. Titus truly did not want to remember anything about that night, and tried his best to not think about it. No matter how curious he might be, thinking about those words wasn¡¯t worth dredging up the rest of his memories.

    Sighing, Titus untangled the sheets from around him, and made his way outside. His house was situated right next to a small stream¡ªone of many that cut through the village and town, all of them connected to a large pond right at the center of their community. Titus enjoyed using the streams to bathe in the mornings, especially after waking up from a nightmare. It cleaned off the lingering bad memories, and left him feeling much better. It was just unfortunate that the streams froze over during the winter, and they got too cold to use. This particular morning was a bit nippy anyway, so a quick dunk in the somewhat cold water served the dual purpose of finally pushing Titus¡¯s nightmares further away, and waking him up completely.

    He walked out of the stream, and grabbed the clothes he left off to the side, not bothering to dry off before putting them on. Titus figured that there was no need, since the day¡¯s work would leave him hot and sweaty anyway, and a bit of water on the skin to cool him off might be nice.

    Yesterday, Titus had fully repaired the roof, and pulled out all the ruined furniture in the main room. Today, he figured that simply going through the other rooms and doing spot repairs would be enough.

    The storage room would also need to be sorted out. A lot of stuff was kept in there, most of which would be useless to Titus. Things like family trinkets or heirlooms either held no value to Titus, or were painful to hold on to. He would rather be rid of these things than hold onto them for an unknown period of time.

    And instead of holding off on sorting this stuff out till later, he decided to strike while theironwas hot, and get it done immediately. Titus set to the storage room with passion, gradually separating out what was useful to him or might be in the future, and what would not be useful. He tried to put all thought towards simply deciding on an object¡¯s usefulness, instead of lingering on sharp sentimental value.

    He was so intent on not thinking about things that the knocking at his door went unnoticed at first.

    ¡°Titus?! Are you in there?!¡± Called a familiar voice from outside, finally breaking Titus from his sorting reverie. He got up slowly, leaving everything in three disorganized piles on the floor.

    ¡°Hold on just a second, I¡¯ll be right with you!¡± Yelled Titus while looking down at his clothes. A quick brush-down had dust flying in the air, and set him to a coughing fit. He would need to sweep the floors to get rid of all that dirt and dust lying around, Titus resolved before crossing over to the door and gracefully pulling it open.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Outside, the healer and Maria waited.

    ¡°What can I help you fine ladies with on this fine morning?¡± He asked politely.

    The old healer peeked around Titus¡¯s shoulder, into the house itself.

    ¡°I thought so¡ªyou¡¯ve started on your parent¡¯s things, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    Titus nodded.

    ¡°Good thing we decided to drop on by, then. Would it be permissible to have Maria here take a look at the stuff you¡¯re getting rid of, and take her pick of anything she might fancy?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Shrugged Titus, standing aside and letting the two women in.

    Maria held her nose up in the air disdainfully at the barren state of the house¡¯s main room, and the general air of disrepair that pervaded the entire building. There wasn¡¯t anything Titus could do about it, besides slowly work to making the house more livable and comfortable. Maria was simply used to a higher standard of living, being a scion of a leading family, and thus saw Titus¡¯s house as something akin to a wooden hut.

    ¡°Right, this pile is all stuff I¡¯m getting rid of. Take your pick from anything in there.¡± Said Titus, motioning at one of the three piles of stuff. He sincerely doubted that there would be anything in there to suit Maria¡¯s tastes. Most the items were little wooden baubles or old toys of his. There were scant few pieces of jewelry left, and those that he had were simply constructed and made of copper or bronze metals. She still sifted through the trinkets anyway.

    ¡°Hmm, have you been having bad dreams, little brat?¡± Asked the healer, an odd interest in her eyes.

    ¡°Only a few.¡± Admitted Titus. ¡°How could you tell?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look very well rested. Are the nightmares about that night back again?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s the memories this place brings back. They wear at me, and bring the nightmares up to surface. Hopefully, things will go back to normal after all this junk is cleared out, and the house truly becomes mine.¡± Said Titus, wearily.

    ¡°There is an easier way to get rid of them, you know.¡± Stated the healer. Titus looked at her curiously, obviously interested in her opinion.

    ¡°Theory is that there are three primary causes for lingering trauma. First is that the trauma might not be fully healed. Well, trauma is never healed fully, but we consider it to be healed enough once it ceases to be a daily occurrence for the victim, when the specters of the past start leaving them alone somewhat. This is likely not the case for you, whose trauma has scabbed over. Your life moves on easily enough. Second, would be that a physical reminder of the trauma remains. This can be a missing limb or a particular scar, or an object serving as a reminder of great trauma. Now, I though that this might be the case here, but I have a feeling the circumstances call for the third cause.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°You never resolved the issue causing the trauma. It¡¯s still out there, calling to your wounded self, attempting to tear off the scar tissue and expose the vulnerable soul underneath. The best way to fix this is to simply talk about it.¡± The healer paused for a moment, letting them both compose themselves.

    ¡°Titus, what happened that night? If you can tell me about it, the nightmares might start leaving you alone again. Your issues might not ever bother you again.¡±

    He sighed.

    ¡°You know I won¡¯t talk about the Exodus. There are some things better left forgotten in that forest, and in the ground.¡± Said Titus painfully. He didn¡¯t understand why the old woman he viewed as family would try and bring this up. She was well aware of how painful the whole thing was to him.

    ¡°In the ground? So you went into the caves?¡±

    ¡°Please, drop the subject. I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±

    ¡°And you remember what happened, then?¡±

    ¡°Please.¡± Said Titus forcefully. He was struck with the memory of a voice in a cave, pleading with him while using that same word.

    ¡°So, you know the way through those caves, yes?¡± Continued the healer. Titus didn¡¯t like the look in her eyes, that unfamiliar gleam of joy and something darker. ¡°You can take someone to what lies at their end, can¡¯t you?¡±

    Titus said nothing more, only watching as the healer he had known for years and years started becoming someone deeply unsettling and unfamiliar. A blind avarice dancing in her eyes as she looked towards Titus, her mouth curling into a crescent grin.

    ¡°Why, you must bring me down there as soon as possible. I have waited far too long, and now that I know you know the way, there¡¯s no sense in delaying any longer.¡±

    ¡°Mags, you¡¯re not acting right¡­¡± Whispered Titus, using the healer¡¯s name for once. He had only just remembered it, dredged from some deep, dark, primal part of his mind. The healer whipped her head around at the name, and the grin widened.

    ¡°Oh~? Well, this is even better! All you rabble should have forgotten my name¡ªafter all, names have power, and mine is too lofty to be dirtied on backwater tongues.¡±

    At this moment, Titus had a realisation. A horrifying, world churning thought that flipped his life on its head. Or maybe the thought turned everything around again, so that he was finally standing on his own two feet, the land around him only now making sense when viewed right-side up.

    He voiced this thought out loud, much to the healer¡¯s amusement.

    ¡°Y-you aren¡¯t the healer, are you?¡±

    ¡°No boy, I am not.¡± Spoke Mags, her grin not fading in the slightest. ¡°That village healer whose place I so graciously took died during your so-called ¡®exodus¡¯. She was right next to me, and her body made such a lovely crunching sound when my Skinwalkers ate her.¡±

    Titus¡¯s knees buckled, and he tried to scramble away from the woman who he had thought a friend. She only watched this action in amusement.

    ¡°Oh please, I won¡¯t hurt you, dear boy. I just need you to show me the way through those blasted caves.¡±

    ¡°Y-you killed my parents¡­¡± Whispered Titus.

    The grin fell away from the healer¡¯s face, and a serious face that was twenty times more frightening replaced it.

    ¡°No, my dear. They killed themselves. Everyone there that night killed themselves. They were told so often that the forest was deadly, that nobody makes it through alive. And yet they still entered just because of a few deaths in the village. Do you fault the blade for a man¡¯s death, or the man holding it? Similarly, I was not responsible. ¡ªNo, that was all on his shoulders. If you must blame a person for your parent¡¯s deaths, blame Sahash, that uptight bastard.¡±

    ¡°What¡­.are you?¡± Asked Titus, afraid of the answer.

    The healer¡¯s head tilted in an odd manner, like an owl or some other bird of prey.

    ¡°Does it matter? All you should know right now, is that I will kill young Maria over there if you do not show me the way through those caves.¡±

    She didn¡¯t seem to show any sort of bloodlust towards Maria while saying this¡ªand the mention of the girl had Titus realizing that she had seemingly frozen in place, unaffected by the conversation happening right next to her. She was at the mercy of whatever monster the healer truly was.

    Titus sat in silence for a moment, and Mags let him. She didn¡¯t seem particularly inclined towards rushing him. In fact, she almost didn¡¯t seem to be forcing him at all.

    He took a last look at Maria, then turned towards the healer and nodded.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll show you what lies at the end of those caves.¡±

    ¡°Grand!¡± Said the healer, clapping her hands together in joy.

    ¡°However, I have a condition.¡± Continued Titus.

    ¡°Oh-hoh, that is quite bold of you. Tell me, what is this condition?¡± Asked Mags, mirth dripping from her voice. She knew she didn¡¯t have to ever consider this condition since Titus wouldn¡¯t go against her with Maria¡¯s life in the mix. However, curiosity killed the cat, as it were.

    ¡°I want to know more about this Sahash guy you say caused my parent¡¯s deaths.¡± Said Titus with iron conviction in his voice. He pushed Mags¡¯ direct involvement in their deaths to the wayside in his mind. For one, he knew there was nothing he could do to her currently. Secondly, if there truly someone above who caused the whole thing, then that was the head he¡¯s rather take. And finally, Titus was of the opinion that goals were necessary in life¡ªeven if he might die to the kindly old healer before the day was over.

    ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± Answered Mags easily enough. ¡°You¡¯ll either be dead soon from something or another, or free to do whatever you want. I see no issue with this. Now, let¡¯s get going. I want to see the reason why I lived in this miserable dump for seven years, and I¡¯m sure you want this over with as well. Everything will be back to normal after it''s done.¡±

    Titus tried not to think too hard as he opened the door for Mags. He tried not to think about that night, with creatures slaughtering family and friends in the forest, nor of the healer¡¯s apparent involvement in it. He tried not to think about the fact that Maria was walking with them, that dead look in her eyes suggesting that the lights were on, but nobody would come to the door to answer. Certainly, he tried to not think about the fact that the healer could apparently control another person like a puppet, and he tried not to compare himself to Maria, both puppets dancing to the healer¡¯s tune.

    Most of all, Titus tried to ignore the vast, burning plains of hatred which had ignited in his deepest being. He tried to ignore the acrid taste of betrayal in his mouth, and the grim coldness in his head from vengeance.

    He tried.

    He failed.

 Chapter 3: Prisoners Dwelling

    The forest was just as Titus remembered. The canopy overhead blocked out almost all light, lending the ground below an oppressive darkness. There were supposedly animals somewhere inside the forest itself, but they were nowhere to be seen. The whole place was unnaturally quiet, only the muffled sounds of their group¡¯s passing accompanying alongside them. They didn¡¯t talk either, though Mags would occasionally start humming for no apparent reason. Maria simply walked forward mechanically, a glassy look in her eyes. Her skirt was already scuffed up as she had fallen several times, tripping over roots or raised patches of dirt.

    There were no bones littering the forest floor, no sense of decay or evil, and no shadowy monsters appeared. They passed through the forest uncontested. Titus had a strong feeling that this was due simply to Mags¡¯ presence, and that entering the forest without her would be suicide.

    Much like what had happened last time he had been in the forest.

    He shuddered at the memory, not quite able to push it away this time. He couldn¡¯t help but flinch at the shadows in the forest, and shudder at the undergrowth blanketing the forest floor¡ªUndergrowth that, with the help of some imagination, would resemble fallen bodies or bare skeletons.

    The place freaked him out, no doubt about that. However, every time he thought about running away or trying to prevent going to the cave, Titus would glance over at Maria. Mags had promised to kill the young girl should he renege on their promise, and he was very sure that she could deliver. And even though he really didn¡¯t like Maria all that much, he still wasn¡¯t willing to see her dead, especially by his own actions. Besides, Titus had a feeling Maria wouldn¡¯t be the only casualty caused by his desertion¡ªfar from it.

    While he was continually going over events internally, Mags finally spoke up. She had seemed content to keep the silence beforehand.

    ¡°I know you have questions, Titus. Feel free to ask them, so that a firmer grasp on the truth can be had. I think you at least deserve this mercy.¡±

    ¡°Such a mercy.¡± Said Titus scathingly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would be so generous.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to be pissy, at least be pissy towards the right people, kid.¡± Sighed the healer. ¡°I¡¯m not the one you should be mad at here.¡±

    ¡°And why not? You¡¯ve suggested something along those lines before. So, explain it to me. Why shouldn¡¯t I be mad at you?¡± Asked Titus.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m just a grunt here. I¡¯m only a guard, looking over this place, being forced to squirrel away in this forest for so, so long just to make sure nobody gets out.¡±

    ¡°Says the one who lives outside the forest, guarding nothing.¡±

    ¡°Did you know your village used to be bigger?¡± Asked Mags abruptly. ¡°I mean, even before that foolhardy ¡®exodus¡¯. It was many times the size it is now, and took up all the land not occupied by the forest.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What does this matter?¡±

    ¡°Can you not imagine it? Instead of the little dirty village taking up but a tiny swath of land in the middle of our forest, a grand town¡ªalmost a city? Built upon the foundations of the Dawn War¡¯s end, designed to hold tens of thousands of people?¡±

    ¡°Wait, that makes no sense. Where did this place go?¡±

    ¡°Where else? Time took it away. Despite it¡¯s construction, the wear of eons are simply too heavy. Us guards may be long lived, but even the eldest among us was born long after this place¡¯s construction.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­what are we here for? Why can¡¯t we leave? Is the world outside not fit for us?¡± Asked Titus, immediately seeing the oddity in what Mags was telling him. He wondered what the purpose of their population would be, and why they were confined within the ever-looming threat of the forest.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe a few of the older guards do, but they will not tell us. All we know is to protect the forest, and prevent people from leaving. To help with this, there used to be a large magical shield encircling both the forest and your community, but it failed some years past. To tell the truth, I¡¯m doing some very forbidden things here, by living among the people for so long, and allowing you into our domain without death.¡±

    ¡°Then why risk it?¡±

    ¡°Because I think this worth risking. Too long have I floundered about with questions none would answer. You asked about the purpose of containing a population here¡ªI have also wondered about this thing, and the purpose of us guards. What is this all for? To answer this, I am willing to break a few of my kind¡¯s laws.¡±

    ¡°Then, you think that the caves have something to do with all this.¡± Stated Titus.

    ¡°Yes. It would be easier if you simply told me what was down there, at the end of that labyrinth. However, even then, I think I should like to see it with my own eyes.¡±

    ¡°Labyrinth?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I supposed you would not know, but those caves are supposedly impassable. Every time I personally entered, the twisting and turning caves would disorientate my senses and I¡¯d end up back at the entrance again. You, however, made it to the end of those caves, right?¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°You talk in your sleep. Something about voices, and a set of doors that haunt you. The only reason there would be doors in those caves would be if you found something.¡±

    Titus shrugged outwards, but was quite concerned with the implication that the healer he¡¯d known for so long had watched him sleeping at some point, and maybe more than once. Hell, Titus¡¯s mind was still spinning from the information she so-casually dropped at his feet¡ªthe least of which involved who she really was. He felt like his entire life was lived in a cage, or stuck down a well. It was uncomfortable, to say the least.

    They traveled deeper into the forest. Titus tried to not jump at every little sound, but it was difficult. Being in that place really set him on edge, and set his heart thundering. He expected something to jump out at them from behind every tree, to drop down from the canopy at any moment. But the forest was instead silent. Everything was still. It didn¡¯t stop his overactive imagination, though.

    He was able to relax a little, though, when a rock outcropping came into view¡ªone that he would recognize anywhere. But, even slightly relaxed, Titus felt a different sort of anxiety bubble up inside him.

    ¡°Here it is.¡± Said Mags. ¡°You walk in front from here. We¡¯d just end up lost if I go first.¡±

    ¡°And what makes you think the same won¡¯t happen with me?¡±

    ¡°Because you already made it to the end, somehow. Maybe it was because of your mind state during that night, or some other factor. It doesn¡¯t matter. The fact is that you made it to the end of that labyrinth, even though illusion barriers and misdirection magic should have prevented that. And, having found the way once should let you make it through again. That¡¯s normally the way these things work, anyway.¡±

    Titus sighed, and stepped out in front of Mags and Maria. He felt less safe like this, more exposed. The feeling somewhat faded after entering the caves themselves, but it was still there for the most part. And, he couldn¡¯t help but start having memories of that night bubble up, flashes of that frantic flight away from death returning to silently haunt him. Titus couldn¡¯t quite shove them away this time.

    At least the caves were distinctly familiar. Walking through them was an odd experience, since Titus would come up to intersections of multiple cave tunnels and somehow instinctively know which one led the right way. It was like he perfectly remembered where to go, even though the memories of that night itself were spotty and badly repressed.

    The caves twisted and turned unnaturally, often separating into various paths to take or acting counterintuitively. Several times, the path angled back upward, almost confusing even Titus, who should know where to go. The caves would start descending again after a while, though, improving his confidence their direction. Titus could see why others would have issues getting to the end of the twisting labyrinth of a cave system¡ªeven without taking into account the illusions and misdirection charms which apparently existed in the caves, it would be all too easy to get lost without a guide.

    They went deeper, and deeper, and deeper. Eventually, the caves evened out, and they started traveling in a straight downward path. The number of paths breaking off to the sides also decreased, until there was only one way forward¡ªand this was the way to those doors.

    The natural looking stone cave also started giving way to a distinctly man made corridor, the rounded walls and ceilings becoming clear cut, their corners sharply angled. It wasn¡¯t long before carvings could be made out on these walls, well preserved despite the untold passage of time around them. Titus slowed down to look at these carvings, as did Mags. He hadn¡¯t been in the right frame of mind to stop and appreciated them last time he was down here, and now that he knew they existed, Titus was intrigued. Maybe they could explain something about this place, and the community somewhere above him.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    From what he could tell, the carvings told a story. There was an army, surrounded in light. Strong looking figures with horns stood with that army, protecting them somehow. One of these figures was cut in far more detail than the others, his tall and slim figure seeming to command everyone else. Titus was shocked at the level of detail placed into this carving¡ªhe could almost count individual strands of hair from this figure, and the face was astoundingly lifelike.

    The army faced a stronger enemy, bathed in darkness and filled with grim, deadly warriors. Many had shackles and collars on, long chains leading to one, central figure in this vast military force. Titus couldn¡¯t tell who or even what this figure was, since the stone here had been badly scratched out, like someone couldn¡¯t even bear to see this person¡¯s likeness set into stone. But he could tell that whoever this was, they weren¡¯t good.

    The carvings continued, detailing the struggle of the lesser light filled army, and their exploits. Battles won through sheer stubbornness, through intelligence, and battles won through the righteousness of their cause were shown. The enemy was beat back, their armies routed. Several powerful enemies were killed, their likenesses depicted with long, angular ears and an angry sort of beauty. Eventually, their leader was confronted by a group of heroes from the allied armies and brought down. It was difficult to tell what was happening in these segments of the carvings, since portions were scratched out each time that leader showed up. Someone really didn¡¯t like this person.

    Peace was brought to the world after that leader fell, and what remained of the enemy¡¯s armies scattered, to be slowly hunted down. A city was built, with great magic placed within. People were invited to live at this city and they came in droves, even though there was clearly a cost in doing so. They seemed happy to pay whatever cost this was.

    The leader¡¯s body was entombed below this city, and kept behind many safeguards so that it would never be found.

    At this point, Titus connected some dots. Mags had said the village used to be larger¡ªmuch larger. It had slowly declined over time, ending up in its current state. Then, there were all these caves, the doors sitting at the end¡ªin fact, Titus could see those doors right now, since they had gotten close enough. There was obviously something behind those doors, entombed here for countless eons. The carvings wouldn¡¯t be here without reason, so they must be related to whatever is behind the doors.

    Titus was suddenly a whole lot less inclined towards opening those doors.

    But, it seemed that he had no choice in the matter.

    ¡°Well, time to see what¡¯s going on here.¡± Said Mags, walking towards the end of the corridor. She paused, seeing that Titus was still lingering. ¡°Come on now, kid. What? Are you scared now?¡±

    ¡°A little.¡± Admitted Titus. ¡°I mean, apparently something really bad is down here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re coming regardless, or the girl dies.¡± Said Mags, reminding Titus about the very reason he¡¯s been forced to come. ¡°Besides, if something living were locked down here, it¡¯s dead by now. More likely, there¡¯s just bones and dust.¡±

    Titus sighed, knowing he had no choice in the matter, unless he was willing to let Maria be killed. He felt like Mags was wrong about the latter ascertain, though.

    They walked over to the large set of iron doors. Curiously, there was no rust anywhere on them, even though the doors¡¯ surface was pitted and aged. Titus went right up to them, and rested a hand on them. He felt a warmth running through the door, like there was an aspect of them living. They cracked open soundlessly, leaving just enough of a gap between the two of them for a person to slip through. Titus stepped aside, and motioned for Mags to go first. If she were so eager to see what was down here, he could certainly oblige her. She seemingly had no problem with this, briskly walking into the pitch-black chamber beyond, without any care. Maria followed aimlessly behind her, and Titus looked back down the corridor before reluctantly entering last.

    He knew the door closed behind him when the little light let in winked out, leaving the space in total darkness until a mumbled incantation could be heard. Titus stared in amazement as a small fireball shimmered into existence above Mags¡¯ outstretched hand. He hadn¡¯t known she could do magic. Very few in the village could, and it was limited to small things like being able to float a drop of water, or create a spark.

    The fireball illuminated very little of the room, however. The darkness here was like a physical sensation, pressing down at them and limiting the light¡¯s influence. It did reveal several thick chains extending across the space, their cold metal surfaces lined with symbols. The chains went towards the middle of the room.

    A clinking sound echoed through the darkness from where the chains led. Something was moving.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡± Called out Mags, extending her hand towards the sound¡¯s origin. The fireball followed suit, but the light didn¡¯t reach.

    ¡°Dost thou¡­.finally return for me?¡± Asked a hoarse voice, accompanied by the clanking of chains shifting. A figure entered the circle of light created by Mag¡¯s fire. Chains extended from iron bindings, welded shut around this person. Their arms were locked behind them, and further chains ran from these manacles towards the walls. A thick collar sat upon its neck, six chains centered here to prevent too much movement. A mask obscured any sight, it¡¯s blank metal face tilted in their general direction. Two pitch-black horns extended from behind the figure¡¯s temples, though only one pointed forward. The other was clearly damaged, the tip snapped off halfway down it''s length.

    Titus almost wanted to gloat about being right, but caught sight of Mag¡¯s face.

    She was terrified.

    ¡°This is impossible¡­¡± She whispered, voice tight with fear.

    ¡°Who¡­art thou?¡± Asked the figure. ¡°Thy manner of speech is¡­unfamiliar¡­¡±

    Mags backed away hastily, and the figure was stopped from moving any more forward by the chains. Her voice¡ªand it was a her, judging by the voice¡¯s pitch and the slightness of her figure¡ªrose again.

    ¡°Art thou Jasper, or sent through him? Please¡­say something¡­¡±

    Titus stepped forward, not feeling the fear coursing through Mags. Instead, he felt¡­pity? Sympathy? It was evident that this person had been down here for a long, long time, without anyone else, alone in the dark. Mags looked towards him, frightened by how he unhesitantly walked right up to the chained woman. Getting closer, he discovered that she didn¡¯t even reach up to his shoulders, adding to the illusion of her being helpless.

    ¡°Titus¡­? Don¡¯t get any closer!¡± Yelled Mags. ¡°That one shouldn¡¯t exist! The Greater Demons died out eons ago!¡±

    He ignored her, and examined the figure more closely. Under the mass of chains, she worse what could best be described as a rag. It was dirty and tattered, though a hint of gold lining here or there, and the fineness of the weaving attested to past majesty, lost through time and misfortune.

    ¡°My name is Titus. What is yours?¡± He asked. The woman (or girl, given her stature) gasped softly.

    ¡°Cans¡¯t thou understand me? Thine word is heard¡ªWho art thou, to speak mine own language? Where is Jasper?¡±

    ¡°I am sorry, I know no Jasper.¡± Replied Titus, the words somehow coming out thickly when he spoke them. They felt unfamiliar, which confused him. ¡°What do you mean, language?¡±

    ¡°Thou speak¡¯th mine tongue, shared amongst mine kin alike. I ask again, who art thou, to not know Jasper but to come here still?¡±

    ¡°I do not know what you mean, I am only a farmer.¡±

    ¡°Mine kind would rarely deign to toil the land, young Titus. Thine lies sound discordant to mine ears.¡±

    ¡°I do not lie. I am a farmer, from a line of farmers. My fathers tilled the lands above us. I was born human, but somehow gained something called bloodline-retrogression.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, so thou art a prisoner of thine own making. Mine brother bragged so about his work, and knowing it continues still, pains me. Atavism is also in mine memory keenly¡ªthou art the one whom entered this room in time past, yes? Thine change started here, and thus fate saw fit for a return. Then, truly, Jasper sent you not?¡±

    ¡°No. I have no idea who this Jasper man is.¡±

    ¡°Titus! Stop talking in whatever language that is! We have to leave!¡± yelled Mags, grasping Maria in her hands to hard, blood welled up under her nails. ¡°If you do not follow, Maria is dead, you hear me?!¡±

    The chained girl jerked, and Titus heard her inhale sharply.

    ¡°Whom dares spill blood in mine presence?¡± She asked, almost amused. ¡°None I know would be so foolhardy, to give the prisoner a key.¡±

    ¡°Mags! Don¡¯t you dare harm Maria, you hear me?!¡± Yelled Titus back, half hearing what the girl said as well.

    ¡°Mmm, and none I know would be so willing to come so close. Thou art a fool. A likable fool, but one nonetheless.¡± Added the girl, making a sharp movement.

    Her good horn pierced into Titus¡¯s shoulder. Blood immediately welled from the wound, and ran down his body.

    ¡°Huh?¡± He went, more shocked than pained at the moment. He felt a wave of weakness wash through his body.

    ¡°I must be thankful of thee.¡± Said the girl, drawing back. Her horn came out of Titus, it¡¯s tip dripping dark blood. ¡°For, the use of thine mana allows me mine freedom at last.¡±

    Violent clanking sound came from behind her back as the chains and iron binding her hands fell apart. Titus watched, half in awe and half frightened, as the chains dropped away from her one-by-one. It didn¡¯t take long for all the chains to have been broken but one¡ªa little, unnoticeable and fragile looking silver chain wrapped around her ankle. A simple movement of her leg snapped it right off.

    Without all the chains binding her, and obscuring most of her body, Titus could see that his earlier assumption was correct. This person was more girl than woman¡ªthough she was unlike any girl he¡¯d seen thus far. Striking hair the color of moonlight went down her back, contrasting with those black horns. The rags she wore did nothing to hide the flawless skin of her arms and legs.

    She reached up, and took that faceless mask off, exposing bleary and blinking eyes with irises like liquid gold and bottomless pupils. Her elegant nose flared a little, as she looked around the room.

    ¡°Ah, so this be mine prison. And thou art Titus.¡± She said, gaze alighting on the person in question. ¡°And over there, a skinwalker and a human. Mine assumption is that the bag of flesh art not a friend, yes?¡±

    Titus, holding the wound in his shoulder, briefly nodded.

    Mags was still looking at the girl, horrified.

    ¡°What have we done? What have we done?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Thou reek of mine brother¡¯s work. I had not thought he would stoop to creating skinwalkers for mine guard. However, it matters not. Thou contain¡¯st mana I might use.¡± Said the girl, walking towards Mags slowly, as if getting used to the sensation.

    ¡°G-get away from me!¡± Yelled Mags, throwing Maria to the side and pouncing at the one terrifying her so, her nails elongating and turning sharp. Her whole body underwent a change, becoming taller and leaner. Her skin seemed sewed on, a patchwork melody of stolen lives.

    The girl caught her.

    Literally, Mags was grabbed in midair, and slammed to the ground in a blur of action. The monster that was Mags stayed on the ground, moaning softly, while the girl stood unsteadily on her feet, looking down at the thing she called a skinwalker.

    Sighing, she drove a hand down, piercing Mags in the chest and ripping out a dimly shining stone. The monster who had raised Titus moved no more as it¡¯s heart was crushed under the girl¡¯s grip, and glowing motes of light transferred over to her.

    She breathed in deeply, seeming somewhat refreshed.

    ¡°Mine name is Kai. Would thou do the kindness of guiding mine self out of this place?¡±

 Chapter 4: First Steps

    ¡°I-is she dead?¡± Asked Titus frightfully. He stared down at the motionless form of the creature he had known as Mags. Her, no, it¡¯s long, bony limbs lay splayed out from where Kai had slammed it into the ground. The skinwalker¡¯s face was featureless; a blank canvas of hides stitched together haphazardly. No breath stirred its body either.

    ¡°Tis quite dead.¡± Responded the short, terrifying girl.

    Titus couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away from the monstrous form of his dead caretaker. Then, he crumpled to the ground, legs buckling underneath him. The girl watched him, confused.

    ¡°Thou wouldst shed tears over the demise of a monster?¡±

    ¡°She raised me. For seven years, Mags took care of me, and healed my wounds.¡± Replied Titus, still staring at the skinwalker.

    ¡°Art thou aware that this¡­Mags¡­would be willing to end thine life in an instant, should the situation require such a thing?¡±

    Titus couldn¡¯t quite wrap his head around that. To him, Mags was still just an old healer, who had taken him in and mended fractures both inside and out. The realization that she wasn¡¯t who he thought shook the foundations of everything he thought he knew. It would take time for him to reorient his life to this new reality. Until then, he felt¡­lost.

    Titus turned his head towards Kai, intending to ask¡­something¡­anything really. He turned just in time to see her fall backwards, letting out a soft ¡®Oh!¡¯ of surprise. Her back hit the ground, and she remained there, unmoving.

    Titus got up somewhat reluctantly, walking over to where the girl now lay.

    ¡°A-are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Mine body seems unready for combat, as of yet.¡± Replied Kai in a small voice. Then she laughed a little. ¡°Ten millennia giveth me such a crick in mine neck.¡±

    Titus paused.

    ¡°Have you been down here for that long?¡±

    Kai sank into thought at the question. In truth, she had no idea how much time had passed down here. There was simply no way to tell. She didn¡¯t even know how long a day lasted anymore, and the years had just...blurred together. And even if she could measure the time accurately, her estimation would be off. Kai recalled the periods of insanity imposed by such a lengthy stay in the dark. It was a small miracle she had even survived that last bout, or simply just come out of it. Though, who¡¯s to say she still wasn¡¯t just a little bit mad in the head. You don¡¯t just casually go insane without consequences, and it was only due to her nature that most of those were avoided.

    Needless to say, she had been down here for a long time. Kai could likely figure out exactly how long by checking her status, but she really didn''t want to do that.

    ¡°I do not know how long it has been.¡± Kai answered, speaking truthfully.

    The boy stood gaping at her. Kai found that slightly annoying, though the sheer joy of meeting another person after so long filled the rest of her. It was a simple joy, and one she¡¯d missed dearly. Sure, she¡¯d had other visitors now and then, but those were the wardens of this prison, and not nearly the same as the clueless kid who let her out.

    She sighed lightly, and looked at the kid.

    ¡°Wouldst thou help me stand? Mine legs are refusing to move.¡±

    Titus hurried over to her side, and propped Kai upright. She groaned lightly, wobbling on weak legs.

    Titus stared at her backside. Kai noticed very quickly, being somewhat sensitive towards his presence at the moment. He looked up, and caught her inquisitive glare.

    ¡°What!?¡± Said Titus, throwing his hands up in the air. ¡°I was looking at your tail!¡±

    Kai reluctantly nodded, accepting his answer for the moment. And, it was a nice tail, in her opinion. Thin, not too long, flexible, with a sharp looking white bone ridge at the end. Other than the tip, it was as black as the horns on her head.

    Or, horn.

    Kai reached up, and felt at her left horn. Unlike the right one, curving into a wickedly sharp point to the side of her face, her left horn was broken hallway down it¡¯s length, the tip missing. It still pained her.

    Titus noticed the motion. It was hard for him not to be aware of Kai. But, he refrained from asking about it. Nothing about her face changed, but he recognized the pain in her eyes. It was something he¡¯d seen reflected in the occasional puddle before.

    If it weren¡¯t for the healer, he would still be wallowing in that pain. Titus glanced over at the skinwalker¡¯s body once more, knowing that Mags would eventually become another memory burdening him down. He would mourn later. For now, Kai is Titus¡¯ biggest priority.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°You said you wanted out of here?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Verily.¡± Affirmed Kai, nodding.

    ¡°Come on then. It will take a while to get out of the caves, and I do not wish to travel that forest at night.¡±

    ¡°Forest?¡± Asked Kai.

    ¡°Outside. We are at the bottom of a very complex cave system, and the entrance is inside the forest. I-it is death inside the forest itself. We do not want to spend a lot of time inside of it.¡±

    ¡°That much has not changed, at least.¡± Responded Kai. ¡°In mine time, the Dark Forest shared home with all manor of foul creatures. Drakes, Shadows, C¨¦ian, and Liches stocked the darkness betwixt the city and freedom.¡±

    Titus didn¡¯t know what any of those things were. He did share the only thing he knew for certain.

    ¡°I know that Mags¡ªer, the skinwalker was a guard here. She stayed in the forest for the most part.¡±

    ¡°Truly? That creature was meant to stand watch over mine prison?¡± Asked Kai. Titus nodded in response.

    ¡°Odd. The Dark Forest was an artificial dungeon. It would bring into life the strongest monsters possible, and task them with slaying any who would venture into their realm. For a lowly skinwalker to be a member of them¡­ Tell me, how fares the city? What of thine people?¡±

    ¡°City?¡± Asked Titus. ¡°There is no city. I saw the murals on the way in.¡± He said, pointing at the reliefs as they passed. ¡°I do not know how many there used to be, but the only thing inside the forest now is my community.¡±

    ¡°Oh? And how many reside in thine community?¡±

    ¡°About¡­two hundred or so people? I always thought that was a lot of people, but apparently not.¡± Stated Titus, looking again at the murals. They depicted armies numbering in the thousands, with actual weapons and armor. Coming down here had revealed how small his world had been, stuck within the forest containing them all.

    ¡°Two hundred? Thou speakth truly? My, how the mighty hath fallen. When I first was captured, mine gaolers made sure to parade me through their mighty city build to contain me.¡±

    ¡°The city was built to contain you? How?¡± I asked.

    Kai thought for a moment, unsure of how much Titus would even understand if she explained it all to him.

    ¡°What do you know of magic?¡± She eventually asked.

    ¡°More than most in the village. Mags taught me some, though most of it was useless.¡± Said Titus, shrugging. ¡°None of us really had anything in the way of great magic power.¡±

    ¡°That would only be natural. Mine prison prevents those above from using much of their mana.¡± Responded Kai. Titus looked at her, confused.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Imagine magic is like water, and flows like a stream unseen to most. Everyone holds their own magic within, and it is like a little pond inside. What this prison does is open a channel in those ponds, and force the magic outside. This magic¡ªlike a stream¡ªwill flow towards lower ground. It will join a larger stream, and follow that. There are three ley-lines in this area, like grand streams of magic. Any magic within the area is pulled into these, and all three of these streams nearly converge in one spot. All of this prison¡¯s wards and defense systems are powered through the magic in those ley-lines.¡±

    Titus looked even more confused at Kai¡¯s explanation. He seemed to have gotten lost somewhere around the stream comparison. Damn it all, Kai had thought that was a good analogy, too. She sighed.

    ¡°None of your people are good at magic, because all thine mana is funneled into this prison. And the city was designed to provide people and their mana. It is only because you live here, that you are unable to use magic.¡± Concluded Kai, who hoped this explanation would satisfy Titus.

    It did, thankfully.

    ¡°Oh. So, they needed us to live up there, to keep you¡­imprisoned?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Exactly so. Without a certain number of people, basic functions of this place would not be available.¡±

    ¡°Mags did mention that some sort of barrier fell a while back.¡± Mentioned Titus. Kai immediately became interested.

    ¡°Really? What barrier?¡±

    ¡°The outer one, surrounding the forest. It fell a few years ago, along with whatever was compelling the guards to stay in the forest. A lot of them left, from what Mags said.¡±

    Kai stared at Titus, agog.

    ¡°This¡­I can leave this place entirely, then. I had been planning on waiting in your community. Before, that barrier would have prevented my leaving.¡± Said Kai. She did not go on to say how, exactly, she would then plan on getting out of the barrier were it still active.

    ¡°You are just going to leave, then? Walk straight out of this place, and through the forest?¡±

    ¡°That is the best action I might take. Those who put me in here would know of mine escape by now, so getting far away from this place before they come to investigate makes sense.¡±

    Titus nodded, and then realized he had his own dilemma to consider.

    Why should he go back to the village?

    It¡¯s not like this is the first time he¡¯d had thoughts of this sort. Everyone dreams about leaving the place they¡¯re at sooner or later, and Titus is no different. He¡¯d spent many days thinking about what would happen if he made it out of the forest, if there was something beyond the confines of his little community.

    Of course, such dreams were impossible before. He¡¯d seen what happened when someone went into the forest, and the death that followed. So, while he dreamed about leaving, he¡¯d never entertained the notion for long. And besides, the healer would be upset that he left.

    Not anymore.

    She was dead, there was nothing stopping him from leaving, and there was someone he could go with. They could discover the world outside by seeing it themselves.

    Titus made up his mind.

    ¡°I am going with you.¡± He said. Kai didn¡¯t look surprised, or concerned. She had always been a big believer in letting people make their own decisions. This was something that hadn¡¯t changed in all those years spent locked under the ground.

    ¡°That is fine. I am a little starved for company anyway.¡± Said Kai, smiling at the odd boy who had let her out. Young demons always do bring chaos, after all.

    <hr>

    The two of them, Titus and Kai, forgot an important detail.

    Not that it was very obvious, since she had been very, very quiet throughout the entire ordeal. And the two of them had been more focused on each other, and the skinwalker, than any other person in the room.

    Not that Maria was strictly a person now, anyway. She had experienced the same thing Titus had, those seven years ago. Atavism had begun its slow transformation on her newly demonic bloodline.

    And not that she was even awake to know about it. Mags had held a very tight grip on the young girl¡¯s mind and body, forcing her to do exactly what the healer had wanted. Once that vanished, Maria had collapsed into a heavy coma, the forced control taking its toll on her mind. She wouldn¡¯t wake up for a while, and when she did, she would wake up in an unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar people around her, asking questions about someone unfamiliar named Kai. But that wouldn¡¯t be for a while. In fact, Maria would nearly die of starvation while sleeping before that happened.