《Hitch in the woods》 Chapter 1 The boy glanced around the clearing. Wooden crates piled upon one another were blocking the view to one side of it, people coming to, disoriented and confused, starting to look around just as he. The trees around were tall, old looking, the clearing itself covered in short grass. He rose to his feet, heading towards one of the containers, but one of the other boys stopped him. The other boy was a bit taller than him, his hair short and black, face slightly tan and his bearing confident as he approached. ¡°Hey, are you alright? I don¡¯t think any of us should be wandering off before we¡­¡± he trailed off, his eyes scanning over the surroundings. ¡°Before we talk things through as a group. I¡¯m Mayhe¡± he extended his hand in a greeting. ¡°Hitch¡± the shorter boy shook the hand, his eyes still drawn towards the out of place pile. ¡°I wasn¡¯t wandering off, just wanted to check those out.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie, though he did sound defensive. ¡°We can do that after, maybe someone knows something. Do you know anything?¡± ¡°Not a clue. Just woke up and was.¡± The two walked towards the larger grouping, people asking each other the same question, each one young and confused. The group was twenty people in total, an even split of boys and girls, all dressed in similar looking gray cotton shirts and pants with brown leather vests and boots. ¡°Does anyone know anything here?¡± a tall blonde girl¡¯s voice cut through the crowd, every head turning to her. She waited a few moments, scanning the crowd, then sighed. ¡°Okay then. My name is Anika and I think we should all get acquainted, assuming no one comes to tell us what¡¯s going on. I¡¯m from the midlands, I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m pretty handy outdoors.¡± The group froze for a moment, expectation falling on everyone and no one to speak up next, every person waiting for another to take the step. A short, brown haired girl with wider shoulders broke the silence. ¡°Layah. From the southern part. Worked in the scroll rooms. Was heading to deliver a message when I just appeared here.¡± Slowly people grew bolder, settling in the rhythm of the person to the left of the last speaker introducing themselves, awkwardly, putting names to the faces here, though hardly sticking into Hitch¡¯s memory. ¡°Hitch. Worked for the tanners. Family business.¡± Once the last of the kids introduced themselves, Anika spoke up again, standing on a slight bump on the ground. ¡°So, how about we go and check out those crates over there now? I think we should figure that out before doing anything more. Anyone who¡¯s good at camping and hunting let me know, we¡¯ll need to find some water or something soon.¡± Her taking up a leadership role was not unwelcome, something to follow while everything was such a mess. The mass of bodies moved to the crates, opening them up, finding foodstuffs - mainly the kind that wouldn¡¯t rot, but also some rather fresh looking apples - in the first few crates. Another was filled with bedrolls, enough for everyone in the group. The next one was a surprise though - sets of four swords, axes, spears and bows, quivers and arrows included. Twenty knives in total and three heavy looking books, inset with a red, blue and yellow jewel on the cover each. The bolder of the kids grabbed at the weapons and started waving them around, a heavyset boy named Voysh clashing metal of an axe against an equally well built seeming girl named Pallia, who had a sword in her hands. The pushing around and trying to get at the new shinies was a bit much, a few of the gathered pulling away. One of them, a lithe looking boy standing close who¡¯s name Hitch couldn¡¯t recall turned to him. ¡°Do you think those are tomes or are they just regular books?¡± ¡°They seem tome-ish, but I couldn¡¯t tell. Never seen one myself, you?¡± ¡°Only one. It was displayed at the hall in Tomsrik when I visited with family. Think I could check it out?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. Assuming no one decides to monopolize it.¡± Mayhe walked up to the two, carrying a few knives in his arms. He extended them towards the duo, the boys taking one each.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Twenty of the things. Figured everyone having one would be helpful. And it¡¯s something to do other than argue about how to handle the weapons.¡± The smaller boy turned to the boxes once more. ¡°Any thoughts about the books?¡± ¡°Pretty sure they¡¯re tomes, so also a lot of arguing.¡± Hitch drew the knife from its sheath, then put it back after giving it a once over. ¡°And what are your thoughts on it?¡± ¡°We should share. Anyone going hunting or taking up guard duty should be armed.¡± ¡°Do we need guards? I thought Anika¡¯s plan was to look around.¡± ¡°Well yeah, but still - if someone¡¯s looking around, and something big comes by, you¡¯d want to be able to defend yourself. I doubt we¡¯re all gonna be running around all the time.¡± He smiled, the voices growing louder, arguments heating up. ¡°Don¡¯t lose the knives, I¡¯m going back to try and make sure there¡¯s no stabbing.¡± He turned and jogged back to the pack, his voice joining the others. Hitch and the small boy went the other way, sitting down in the shade of one of the trees. ¡°Sorry, what was your name again? I¡¯m Hitch.¡± ¡°Tar. It¡¯s okay, there¡¯s a lot of names to remember.¡± He nodded, turning away slightly, waiting for the group to come to a conclusion, unwilling to step in to help make a decision himself. A part of him feeling like he should, but with everyone so sure, he didn¡¯t want to butt in, add another voice to the cacophony. Though really, he had to admit to himself, he was just afraid and awkward. ¡ª- The small blades were passed out to everyone, the rest of the weapons and books remaining in the crates. A fire pit was being prepared by a small group, the rest of the people split up in threes to go look for some water or food, set to reconvene in an hour or so. Hitch was walking with the stocky Layah and a boy named Ponneltor, a blonde kid with long hair and limbs who always seemed to be moving so slow, his entire body seeming like it was stretched. They were making their way through the woods, sky hidden behind the crowns of green. Ponneltor was carrying a spear in his hands while Hitch and Layah were carrying only their knives. The three had a bag each, found in the knife crate underneath the cutting implements, enough of them for every person present. They were the eastbound group, making their way through thick underbrush. The languid boy stopped. ¡°Something moved there?¡± He nodded towards some bushes, spear levied towards it. Hitch¡¯s eyes focused towards the bush, the leaves vibrating before a branch snapped. A white hand-like appendage was gripping it, around the size of a man but seeming like it was made entirely out of some sort of white ceramic, six fingers of varied lengths wrapping the branch before dropping it. The owner of the hand emerged, a little over a meter tall, four arms ending in the weird hands extending from its torso, two short legs partially hidden by the bush still. Its head was like a ball with two large inset glass beads reflecting the light and a hole underneath them, closing and opening as the ceramic slid around it. The creature was looking at them, just as they were looking at it, then turned around and pulled itself away from the group. Layah drew her knife, gripping the handle. ¡°Fuck, what do we do?¡± As the blade and spear were still kept pointed in the direction of the thing, Hitch started dashing after it. He didn¡¯t know why, other than that it was other, different. Maybe dangerous if left unchecked. What if it had friends? Or maybe it knew a way out? The creature was fast and familiar with the woods, or so the pursuer seemed to think. But it was too bright to hide and not really all that dextrous, scraping itself against the trees, bits of it flaking off and leaving a trail on the bark. ¡°Wait, I just wanna talk!¡± The boy¡¯s scream was ignored until he caught up, grasping the creature¡¯s upper arm, tugging it towards him. The creature shifted, then struck him across the face with one of its free hands, two others clinging at his clothing. ¡°Weak¡± was a word that seemed to best fit it in Hitch¡¯s mind, his own two arms enough to pull the thing off balance, his body mass great enough to push the ceramic thing to the ground. As they fell, the thing cracked, shards digging into the boy¡¯s hands, the mouth hole no longer moving, glass beads going dark. Hitch stopped. The thing stopped. Nothing moved for a few drawn out moments, then he stood up, tears in his eyes. He started to slowly pull the shards out from his hands, looking at the broken creature. Dropping the pieces onto it, his blood dripping down. The other two caught up with him a while later. Layah started saying something, then started tearing at her clothing, getting stopped by Ponneltor. He took off his shirt and tied it to the wounded hands, the blood seeping into the clothing. His spear stood by a tree, the girl squatted by the broken creature, poking at it. ¡°It¡¯s dead? It''s not moving and it''s empty inside. Did you¡­?¡± ¡°No, I- I didn¡¯t mean to hurt it. I pushed it and it just¡­ It broke, instantly. Crack, and that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Okay. We should probably head back, tell the others about it. Are you okay enough to walk?¡± He nodded and the group turned back the way they came, leaving the shattered creature on the hard forest ground. Chapter 2 The first group to return was the one that went south. They quickly found a stream, drank from it, then the ones who remained went there to get their fill too. Upon seeing the wounded boy return there was a surge of panic, though the retelling of how it happened left most feeling more confused than afraid. ¡°So it¡¯s a puppet?¡± the words came from a girl named Urta, one who had stayed behind. ¡°No strings on it, but maybe? No idea what it was. You can go check out for yourself.¡± Layah was the one speaking, one boy left alone after being hurt to rest, the other only giving one word answers and boring the audience. The tall boy sat by Hitch. ¡°How are your hands?¡± ¡°Better, I think.¡± ¡°Good¡± They sat there for a good bit, Ponneltor getting up to grab them both dried meats of some sort, though eating was still difficult for the smaller boy, only a few fingers unwrapped. ¡°Thanks for the shirt.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°It does feel like I¡¯ve got my hands tied up though.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t want to tear clothes, don¡¯t have spares.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Ponneltor got up later, then looked down and waited for a few moments. ¡°Wanna go get water with me?¡± Hitch nodded, following after, the two making their way to the stream for a drink and a wash. Hitch unwrapped his hands, the blood no longer flowing, then started to wash the cuts. Ponneltor stood by, then wandered off a bit, cresting a hill. He returned, passing the stream by, going back to the gathering and here again. Surprisingly hectic for Hitch¡¯s perspective for the boy, the wounds stinging slightly as he started to try and wash the blood from the shirt. He was stopped by Ponneltor. ¡°I think there¡¯s a river over there somewhere. Wanna walk?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, sure. Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Just a hunch.¡± The wounded boy got up, then they made their way southwards some more. Not fifteen minutes later they found a small river flowing between two hills, trees covering it from either side. ¡°Huh, guess your hunch was right.¡± ¡°Seems so.¡± The taller boy started to strip, then jumped into the river, water barely above his waist. Hitch followed soon after, the two happily floating in the water. ¡°You know¡­ I thought you were kind of slow at first. But you really do just do things. Like tying my hands with your clothes or going to the river on a hunch.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I come up with those ideas on the spot. I just was thinking about what would happen if someone got hurt, and I also figured that there has to be more water somewhere close. I¡¯m impressed how you just chased that thing, I froze up on seeing it.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°I only went after it because¡­ I think I was scared and it seemed different, so maybe it knew something. It sucks that I broke it. Or killed it? Was it alive?¡± Hitch¡¯s breathing sped up, the boy clenching his fists for a moment before letting go due to the pain. He looked at the other boy, then got a reply in the form of a splash in the face. ¡°Don¡¯t exhaust yourself overthinking it.¡± They chatted for a bit after, talking about their families and where they were from, sharing a bit of their anxieties. Eventually, they got out of the water and headed back to the group. ¡ª ¡°Is it true you killed a monster? Didn¡¯t think you would be the first to do it, truth be told.¡± Hitch was sitting by a fire, the sky dark already, Voysh sitting by him and smiling as he looked at him in amazement. ¡°That¡¯s really fucking cool, you know? All we found was some fruit. Blegh.¡± He shook a greenish-yellow ball shaped thing they found on a tree in one hand. ¡°Don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s edible or not and I¡¯m not too eager to try it out.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll test it out, so quit complaining!¡± Anika chastised the boy, who replied by shrugging and nudging Hitch with his elbow. ¡±I could sure use some meat. Though you said that thing you killed didn¡¯t have any on it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t - it was an accident and I¡¯m not even sure it was alive. But no, meatless. It was - I¡¯m glad everyone is well, but I think I¡¯ll turn in for the night. Take care.¡± He got up, then shuffled further from the bustle and settled by his things, trying to fall asleep. The sleep came eventually, the day too exhausting for it to be kept away. ¡ª The Moon looked down at the world and drifted on and on, reflecting the part of light it could down. ¡ª They had a short meeting in the morning, splitting up tasks once more. Hitch stayed behind this time on account of his wounded hands, with no real tasks to do for himself. Tar was there, his hands on one of the tomes, focused on it. Seemed he had managed to get his hands on it after all. Hitch approached the boy and nodded at him. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± The boy took a while to reply, having to tear his attention away from the pages. ¡°Oh. Well, I think? There¡¯s a lot of terms I don¡¯t understand, but it¡¯s helping me. Like something trying to pour itself into my head and the vessel getting stretched to accommodate.¡± Hitch frowned, eyes focusing on the crimson cover of the book. ¡°Sounds unpleasant.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not all bad. Makes me feel more ready. Though not like I can do anything with that more yet.¡± Hitch nodded, then left and went to the place where wood was being piled together, getting worked into something that could be then used for building. Palia was there, stripping some wood and smiled at him as she saw him looking. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hi. I¡¯d offer to help out, but hands are¡­¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t mind if you just want to sit and chat. Or if you¡¯re just anxious and wandering the camp.¡± He frowned a bit, sitting by the girl and looking at the pile. ¡°I¡¯m not anxious. Maybe just bored? I wish I could help out, you know?¡± ¡°I get that. I want to go out to explore so bad right not, but no one else can do this well. I said I¡¯d do this for today, teach some others and then go out tomorrow. Anika and Mayhe agreed to that, so I¡¯m just trying to do my best today here.¡± ¡°Anika was the one leading today¡¯s morning meeting too. Interesting how they ended up as our leadership.¡± ¡°What¡¯s interesting about that? Some people simply take to some roles. People have things they¡¯re good at - like me and working this wood. And fighting. And cooking.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, you¡¯re the best. Not afraid they¡¯ll ask you to keep working on the wood tomorrow too, just so we¡¯d have shelter before rains come?¡± ¡°If they do, I¡¯ll show them what happens when someone breaks their word to me.¡± She shook a knife at him in jest, then returned it to work. ¡°It sucks about your hands though. Hope they get well enough for work soon.¡± ¡°Yeah. I offered to go out, but was told to just rest. They¡¯re right though, I would just be dead weight if I went to the woods. Though I think I¡¯ll look around the perimeter at least.¡± He got up, smiling at her. The girl waved him off and he set for the edges of their clearing. Chapter 3 Two groups - the eastern and the northern - had encountered the creatures now. They escaped both times, but one of them had claws. The size of those claws was a point of contention - Voysh called them large, enough to cut a man in two, while Fita, a girl with long brown hair and a scar running over her left cheek, said they were more like nails someone let grow out too much. Both agreed they were dangerous though. Anika was the one to propose a course of action, as was usual in these evening meetings. ¡°I think we should have more people on watch. I don¡¯t like these things crawling around in the night, especially if they have claws like those.¡± There was groaning about missing sleep, but no real disagreement. The group split soon after, people going to practice with their weapons, relax or chat. Hitch approached Mayhe, the other boy helping bring some firewood to the fire. ¡°Hey, hope you don¡¯t mind being put on watch with me.¡± ¡°Not at all. You¡¯re the only one who actually fought one of-¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a fight.¡± His words came out fast and he blushed, then straightened himself and tried speaking slower. ¡°It wasn¡¯t. We tumbled and they - it - cracked.¡± ¡°Not a fight. But you¡¯re the one who¡¯s been closest to them, so I hope to count on your eyes in case they come close. Okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. Yeah, of course. Your group went far to the south today, right? What¡¯s the feeling?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a bit depressing, I guess. Walking and walking, hoping to find some civilization, but then there¡¯s nothing there but trees. We did find some markings, or at least I think they¡¯re markings, but the others disagreed and when I told Anika about it she said to not talk about it until we knew more. So whoops.¡± He smiled at Hitch, the boy smiling back. ¡°Whoops indeed. Wanna go check them out tomorrow? I could join your group, if you don¡¯t mind, my hands are feeling better.¡± ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t see why not. Better to rotate the groups, make sure everyone gets to work together.¡± He nodded, relieved at the offer being accepted. They sat by the fire, chatting about their respective cities. Mayhe was from a small family - just him, his parents and an older sister that joined the expeditions and never came back. He¡¯d been working at a tailor¡¯s, but his heart wasn¡¯t into it, drawn to the outside world just like his sister was. Hitch was the third child of four, his parents being tanners. He never liked the smell or the work, far more interested in herbs used by his grandfather, learning of them in his spare time. He kept his eye out for any he knew to be useful here, but didn¡¯t have much success with it yet. They sat and chatted for a few hours, getting ready to sleep when a brush moved. Hitch went still instantly, Mayhe stepping forward, sword drawn. A large, pure white shape stepped out from the woods, easily over two meters tall. It was just like the creature from before, but scaled up, with large claws on the ends of upper arms. It¡¯s mouth opened, then emitted a screech, waking some of the sleeping kids. Hitch took a step back, then found himself losing balance, falling to the ground as his vision went blurry. He pulled out his dagger and saw Mayhe say something, but didn¡¯t hear a thing as the other boy moved closer to the thing. The creature darted forward, right into Mayhe¡¯s reach and the boy swung. His sword met the monster¡¯s claw, but did not cut in, getting deflected. The boy managed to hold onto the sword, but his side was hit by one of the lower arms, causing him to stumble. A claw came for him, intercepted by a spear thrust from a girl who¡¯s name escaped Hitch, her hair short now, recently cut and brown, the thrust brave but less than skillful. Pallia came up to the beast next, striking at its back, the sword digging in and cracking some of the porcelain carapace. The creature turned, grabbing the spear and pulling it out of the first girl¡¯s hands, then striking the second in the side with its claw, digging in deep. It let out another screech as more of the camp¡¯s residents approached, then dashed for the woods, deftly disappearing in them and leaving the wounded girl and boy on the ground. Mayhe was laying on his back, clutching at his chest and coughing, trying to sit up while Pallia simply lay there. Hitch ran over to the girl, putting his hands on her side, the palms bloody once more. He was still disoriented, but he gathered his wits enough to do that much. ¡°She¡¯s bleeding here! Get something for it!¡± The yells were answered with someone bringing in some more clothes, helping him dress the holes in her side, a boy with glasses doing most of the assistance, being one of the people already awake by the time the attack started. ¡ª The morning was tense. It was barely dawn, most people up through the night. Mayhe was laying on a makeshift bed, asleep by now, Pallia beside him and not awake since getting attacked. Anika was pacing around, trying to come to a plan, muttering to herself as she seemed to grow more and more tense by the moment. He saw Titor to the side, practicing with his bow and making arrows. The boy was among the more physically imposing, so it was a bit surprising when he picked the bow over other weapons, but he said he far preferred it and often used it when hunting. The large lad was often approached by others while practicing, many coming to him to ask for help moving something or simply to vent. He always helped and listened, but returned to his practice quickly. Voysh was the one with the clearest plan and loudest voice - to go after the creature and kill it, so this wouldn¡¯t happen again. ¡°I know it might be hard to track, but a thing that size? Gotta leave tracks. And we find it and cut it down. Make it and all of those four armed fucks afraid of getting near here.¡± There were not real voices of disagreement to that idea, a group of seven forming up to go hunting. Voysh was the leader of the party, Fita joining him with equal bloodlust. Ponneltor was the third member, though he¡¯d been the last to volunteer. The other three were Luce, Olivia and Hari. Luce had made a shield for himself from a part of a box and had a sword, wielding them with some difficulty due to his less than impressive stature. He was eager to prove himself, being one of the few from richer families, unused to work. Olivia was one of the people who¡¯d picked up a spear and was one of the better fighters, always first to agree for some practice, as her mother had been a guard who wanted her daughters to know how to fight too. Hari had picked the bow and was okay at it, their aim was good though the draw power was less impressive than the other archers¡¯. Titor was also joining, finishing up his work. The seven set out shortly after dawn, leaving the others to tend to the camp, unwilling to go exploring after what happened.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Hitch¡¯s hands were feeling better as he sat by the wood, slowly working through the pile to make something usable. ¡ª Lunch rolled around, the remaining people gathering together. Hitch sat with Tar, the blond boy intently reading his tome even as he ate and Hitch did not interrupt. Everyone was tense and either working it off or practicing, aside from a small group that went to the river to have fun in the morning and now again. Though maybe that was the correct thing to do, rather than overworking themselves like the others did. Once he finished his meal, he didn¡¯t go back to working on the wood, going to the hurt two instead. Pallia was still out and feverish and Mayhe was doing a bit better - not moving much and sweating, but conscious. ¡°Need anything?¡± ¡°Not to be hurt. Aside from that, I¡¯m peachy.¡± He did not look peachy. ¡°Though sorry we can¡¯t go look at the markings. Maybe you can slip away on your own, or grab someone to go with you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I would know what to look for, to be honest.¡± ¡°Oh come on, I can tell you exactly where they were, you need only follow them. It might distract you from looking at our sorry states.¡± There was a bit of edge to his voice. It felt like he was trying to sound teasing, but was tired and hurt and that was seeping out. ¡°Okay, okay. Tell me how to get there, I¡¯ll see what I can find and tell you. Deal?¡± ¡°Deal. You go south, then there are a pair of rocks that seem like they have a ditch between them. If you stand on the one on the right, you can find two lines on one of the trees to the right. It¡¯s pretty low, but you should see it over the growth. Then, I think I saw another pair of lines on a tree further, but had to head back before checking it out. So tell me if you find anything.¡± Hitch nodded, checked his bag and knife, then set out on the exploration on his own. ¡ª Passing by the river, a trio was still there, splashing around and laughing. He was a bit interested in just going there and joining, but he felt he had to do right by Mayhe. If he¡¯d been faster before, if he didn¡¯t get disoriented and acted, the other boy might not even have gotten hurt, right? So he quickened his pace, turning away from the happy faces, eyes seeking for the two large landmarks that should signal for further searching. The boy found the two rocks after a while of walking. There was a path leading besides them and a groove in between, just as promised. He stepped on one of the rocks, looking around until he spotted two gashes in one of the trees, the angle just right. Hitch followed a trail of these gashes, heading deeper and deeper into the woods, the branches and brushes scraping on him. He felt a bit trapped as he kept walking, his knife out by now and cutting at the growth, the marks still there, getting harder to follow and notice. He lost the trail a few times, looking around and cutting around, the markings hidden behind more bushes or higher up than he was used to things being. Finally, after what felt like grueling hours, he came to a large tree. It was thicker than any other he¡¯d ever seen, large enough to fit an entire house if not more inside itself. The growth was less dense around it, allowing Hitch to walk around the tree. At the back side, he found the end of the two lines, one last marking above a huge wooden gate set into the tree. Inside it was completely dark, but once he touched the gate letters lit up on the bark. ¡°Three shall enter. Ready and struggle for the blessing.¡± The words were glowing on the tree, and underneath them another line slowly formed itself. ¡°1. Hitch¡± He pulled back, then sat down, staring at the tree, his mind racing in none of the useful ways. Unsure why, or how or what to do. Who did he tell about it? Everyone? If only three people can make it and he was already in, then he wanted to get Mayhe in it once he¡¯s better. But if he talked about it now, the slots would get taken by others. Though what if it¡¯s something useful? The group needs help right now, not at some other time. If he keeps it a secret, who does he invite as a third? Though maybe he could leave that to Mayhe¡­ Was it incorrect to just let people who wanted to decide decide? ¡ª While returning to the camp, he was intercepted by Anika, the girl looking frustrated, worried and tired. ¡°Where were you? Things were really f- messed up last night, and I don¡¯t like people just disappearing on me.¡± ¡°Sorry, I just went for a walk to clear my head.¡± He apologized out of instinct, not looking directly at her, worried he might not be able to keep the fact he¡¯s hiding his findings secret if the conversation went on. ¡°It was hard, I agree. I was there, you don¡¯t need to tell me that. And I didn¡¯t mean to worry you, but I also didn¡¯t want to be sent off with someone while just wanting to deal with my things.¡± She sighed, then shook her head, still frowning. ¡°It¡¯s not about me wanting to keep people chained down or anything, I worry, since we got attacked, we¡¯re in a weird place and people being selfish or just unaware could hurt them. Hurt all of us. So please, in the future, just let someone know you¡¯re running off, rather than leave us wondering if someone snatched you up from here.¡± ¡°Okay, I will. Again, sorry¡± He slipped away, going to work on the wood some more. ¡ª The axe went through the head easily, the swing going down in a horrific display of force. The porcelain creature crumpled instantly, joining the rest on the forest ground, but was replaced by another, climbing over the body of its brethren and past the cut up branches. It was clawing at Voysh¡¯s hand and trying to drag him down or out into the more open space beyond the trees. The boy kicked it away, then took a step back, eyes over the situation. Ponneltor stood to his left, stabs methodical, serving to deter the things that got too close to anyone. Fita was darting in and out, cutting the things with her sword whenever she thought she could get away with it, though she was overestimating her capabilities, earning cuts and bruises. Luce and Olivia were to his right, the boy getting surrounded. Idiot. Voysh kicked one more of the creatures, then swung his awe in a wide arc, the things stopping their assault and stepping back. He moved towards where the fight was happening, Olivia gracefully dealing with the things in front of her but unable to help Luce out, his voice loud as more and more of his blood was spilt. Arrows were impacting the things on the outskirts or those trying to circle, but none of the ones immediately attacking their one person with the shield. Voysh let out a loud scream, some heads swiveling to him, then charged at the mass surrounding the other boy. The four armed freaks cleared, one getting his back destroyed by the swing of the axe. Voysh griped Luce by the shoulder and pulled him back. ¡°Fucking back! All of you, retreat, fast. Outrun these!¡± He yelled at his companions, who turned to leave, giving a push to Luce again. He used the handle of his weapon to push at the mass, stepping back step by step. Hearing them run got him calmer. He¡¯d seen Luce¡¯s legs, he knew how ready they were. So he needed to make the things stay here a while longer. He yelled again, cutting, kicking and punching the dreadful things for as long as it takes. Chapter 4 The sun was setting beyond the trees, coating the camp in dimming light. The seven hadn¡¯t returned yet, causing worry and anxiety to fill the talks, spreading like a stain, permeating every interaction. Everyone was stressed, the situation they found themselves in somehow acceptable while the attacks and uncertainty felt less so. Two girls were talking away from the fire, near where Hitch was sharpening his knife. Kunit was the oldest of them, though she was quite short, her hair long, dark and wavy, tied up right now. She was talking with Nargha, a pretty good cook who was currently pacing around as though stopping would be deadly for her. ¡°What if they don¡¯t come back? Maybe we should leave now, before more of those things return, just head downstream and see what we find there?¡± She kept pacing about, the other girl leaning against a tree. ¡°We could float the idea around. I¡¯ve no real attachment to this place but it at least feels okay? All the stuff is here, and pulling it with us might be difficult. And if there¡¯s a division, I don¡¯t want to have a fight.¡± ¡°You think people would try to beat each other?¡± ¡°What? No, I meant an argument. I just don¡¯t think adding more strain to the current situation is a good thing.¡± Hitch walked away, closer to the fire, warming himself up and putting the knife away, eyes on the woods, looking for another rustle or anything to help see the approaching thing just a moment sooner. He had first watch again, sitting with Layah this time, both quiet. She had been studying one of the tomes for the larger part of the day, but now was just as keenly looking out towards the woods, as on edge as anyone. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll die?¡± Her voice was calm and startled him a little. She was looking the opposite way of him, the two sitting back to back, fire burning to their side. ¡°We¡¯ll all die eventually, right?¡± ¡°You know what I meant. Whatever, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°I hope we don¡¯t.¡± He didn¡¯t say that, not able to form the words. He clenched his fists, tried to relax a bit, eyes still searching for movement. Once their shift was over, it took him a while to fall asleep. ¡ª The sky was clear, the moon full. The boy was afraid and the fear was something it was keen to feed. ¡ª Hitch woke to a racket, his dreams restless. The group that went out was back, or part of it at least. They were missing Ponneltor and Voysh, those who returned hurt in some way, Luce most of all, being carried by Titor. The larger boy put him down, laying him near where the other hurt people were, though Mayhe was up and walking again now. They were beset by people, waving them off, Hari filling everyone in. They¡¯d gone looking for the things and they found them. A group of them, the small ones, no sign of the huge thing. They initiated the fight, attacking the four armed things, but were quickly overwhelmed. Voysh stayed behind to hold them off, Ponneltor joining him so the others would have more time to run away. And they ran successfully, getting here by walking through the night, as difficult as that ended up being. ¡°I don¡¯t regret going, really. But I wish we did better. I did better.¡± No one argued with Hari. They were the least hurt of them all, their fingers bloody and feet full of blisters. There were cuts on their arms and torso, shallow but still painful looking. They went off with the other three returnees that were still okay, going to wash up and bandage their injuries. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. There was an argument going on among them. Olivia was being loud enough to be overheard by everyone within camp. Frustrated and wanting to head back immediately, she was being held back by the two archers. ¡°We get more people and go to help them right now! Anything else would be horrible of us.¡± Titor sighed, wrapping a makeshift bandage around his arm. ¡°So we go back, they¡¯re dead and we get more people killed? Great fucking plan.¡± ¡°They could be alive. And we owe it to them to avenge them if they¡¯re not!¡± ¡°Fuck avenging! We killed one of theirs. They got into our camp to show off and then we went and lost two of ours. I don¡¯t want more trouble. If you go, go off on your own.¡± He shot her a look, then headed for the opposite side of the camp, ignoring the looks he got. ¡ª By midday, Olivia was rested enough to be heading out again. Fita was joining her, looking quite a bit more serious than before, subdued in a way. Hari was going too, their arrows replenished. ¡°Can I join you?¡± Hitch approached the group, pack filled, sword taken from Luce hanging by his hip. ¡°Sure. You¡¯re ready to head off, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, all ready.¡± Fita looked him in the eye. ¡°You sure? Why go now?¡± ¡°I want to do what I can. To do better too.¡± She nodded, then the four of them set out back towards the battleground. Olivia was leading the way, Fita keeping her eyes on ahead. Hari was the one to strike up a conversation with him. ¡°So what are you good at? In a fight and overall.¡± The question caught him by surprise. The boy went quiet for a moment, thinking before speaking up. ¡°I¡¯m pretty quick, I think. And my eyes aren¡¯t bad. I¡¯m not the strongest, but I think I could deal with one of those things. Though I gathered you faced more than a handful. I haven¡¯t had much practice with the sword, but I can use the knife well. Been working on the wood now and I can make sure the leather¡¯s worked well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something. I¡¯m the one archer here today, but I¡¯m also pretty good at tracking I would say. And math, really, though that¡¯s less useful now. My parents sent me to a tutor.¡± ¡°So you were one of the rich kids then?¡± ¡°No, not at all. We were well off, true, but the tutor was a friend of my mother¡¯s and I would sit in on the classes when there was time. Officially, I was helping out, but I tried to learn what I can.¡± Hari smiled, looking off to the side. ¡°Those were good times. I hope we get back safe.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± They stopped for a short rest, traveling familiar ground. Olivia addressed him. ¡°We¡¯re getting closer. I think we should walk through the night, then we¡¯d get there as soon as we can. I don¡¯t fancy resting here.¡± He nodded along with the others, then the group set off again. ¡ª They found the battleground. Bodies scattered around, the porcelain like bits stomped into the ground. There was blood on the white shards, and more leading off to the side. They followed the tracks of blood, broken branches and shattered creatures, walking for a few minutes until they got to a cave in a hill. It wasn¡¯t deep, and they took a step closer, Hitch grabbing Olivia by the collar and pulling her back as an axe swing came for her. ¡°Voysh?¡± Fita took point, addressing the darkness. The large boy stepped out of the cave, covered in cuts and bruises, bandaged up by his shirt as much as he could be. The axe was in his left hand, his right a mangled mess. He was barely looking at them, but smiled, then collapsed before them. Fita ran over and started looking him over, fixing up the dressing on the wounds, Olivia and Hari looking around. Hitch went into the cave, his eyes used to the dark. It wasn¡¯t long until he found the other boy too. Ponneltor was slumped against a wall, clutching his spear, sleeping. Hitch went to wake him, grabbing his shoulder and giving it a light shake. Ponneltor was cold, his body stiff. Hitch retracted his hand, shaking. He went out, his mind a mess and empty at once. ¡°I found Ponneltor inside. He didn¡¯t make it.¡± Olivia ran in to check, the others frozen for a moment. Fita kept doing her best at redressing and cleaning the wound, Hari looking out to the wood. ¡°Fuck.¡± They went for one of the trees, kicking it hard when they got to it then climbing it. Hitch went back in after Olivia, the girl standing there, tears rolling down her cheeks. They picked up the body and carried it out, then started working on a way to keep it steady and carry it back. Voysh was still unconscious, so they didn¡¯t rush too much, though they always kept an eye out. Chapter 5 They were on their way back. Voysh was up, not talking much but managing to limp along the road. He was carrying his axe, his hand refusing to ungrip the handle. Hari had noticed on of the things before, prompting their departure. Olivia and Hitch were carrying the body, using spears as the basis of their makeshift stretcher, having laid him atop them and affixed other branches to keep them steady. No one was talking and there wasn¡¯t much to say. The group returned by midday the next day. Fita ran ahead, informing the camp of the situation. They were told to lay the body down to the side of the camp, no longer rigid as before. There would be a funeral, but later. Mayhe was back up proper, Pallia also fully awake but still only able to work lightly. Hitch went to Mayhe, then the two headed to Olivia, who was once again training, angrily grunting at the world. ¡°Can we talk?¡± A grunt of assent. ¡°We found something. It says it takes three people, and we thought maybe you¡¯d like to join us. It might be dangerous and we haven¡¯t really told anyone else yet.¡± ¡°Sure. When?¡± She didn¡¯t stop moving, Mayhe the one talking, looking at Hitch who shrugged. ¡°Tomorrow?¡± ¡°Okay. Just come to get me once you want to head out.¡± They left her to her training, walking off to get ready themselves. ¡ª Hitch led them to the tree, Mayhe placing his hand against the entrance instantly, his name forming over the wood, another line. Olivia put hers there too, the third line getting added and the whole writing glowing intensely for a moment. The gate rose and they accepted the invite, stepping into the tree¡¯s hollow. It was brighter inside than it should have been. No lights, but it seemed enough was somehow getting reflected so it was still all dimly lit. Hitch had put the sword back at the camp, having picked up Ponneltor¡¯s knife. Olivia had her spear and Mayhe his sword, the blond boy leading the way inside, Olivia behind him and ready to jump into action. The group came into a large room. The smell changed as they passed the threshold, turning from pleasant woody to a sickening sweet odor. There was an orb of light at the top of the room, its pale glow illuminating a large circular area. A gate came up behind them, just like the one at the entrance, bars of wood blocking the way out. Golden letters wrote themselves in the middle of the room, floating and angled for them to read. ¡°Allow the Sun, Moon and Flame that guide you to fuel you with this Wood. For your trial in acquiring sustenance - defeat the champion of Twice-Marked Tree. Your path shall clear once you succeed and grant you ever greater glory. Fortune favors the strong and prepared.¡± The letters faded, then a wind picked up, blowing upwards. The ceiling had formed a hole, a large insect falling from it. It was green, four legged with blades for arms, its face repulsive, a large maw and mandibles clicking as it eyed them. Mayhe moved fast, dodging to the side as the creature lunged at him, one of the blades digging into the wood where the boy had stood. Hitch went the other way, knife sliding against the hardy shell on the leg, scratching but not biting in enough to wound. The insectile giant turned to him, swiping at the boy and hitting only air, receiving a jab from the spear into his side for his trouble. The spear wielder was angry. At herself, her lack of power. If she had more time to practice now, to build more muscle. If she¡¯d listened to her mom more and practiced extra, not just when offered. If she was better, she wouldn¡¯t have needed to run away. Braver, and she would have stayed regardless, maybe able to take the place of the other spearman. Her form was good, a rhythmic flow to the way she stabbed and dodged, using the shaft of her spear to turn away a claw coming for her, stumbling from the force. She saw an opening, trying to hit the thing in the maw as it opened it only to get hit by one of the legs, flickering forward and knocking her against a wall hard. The loud thud of the girl hitting the wall was joined by the sound of a sword impacting the back carapace of the thing, Mayhe mounting it, his sword clanging on the hard shell of the giant over and over, each stab digging in deeper. The thing shook, sword deep enough that the blond kid could hold onto it and stay on the thing. Hitch slipped under the thing, then sunk his knife into one of the rear legs, blade lodged in one of the joints. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The thing gurgled, then jumped. Hitch rolled to the side, Mayhe falling, sword still in hand. The thing was on the opposite end of the room, glowering as well as it could at them. The three stood, Olivia going left, Hitch to the right while Mayhe spread his arms, smiling at the thing. ¡°Running away?¡± The boy kept his eyes on the creature as he slowly walked closer. The insect stayed still, then jumped again, launching forward with immense force. Mayhe was a moment too slow jumping to the right, his left arm clipped and shoulder dislocated, clothing tearing at where the thing¡¯s tough outer body scraped against it. Olivia turned to the side, launching a powerful stab, the rotation bringing enough momentum for her to pierce through the flank of their opponent. It gargled again, shaking, the spear pulled out. The other boy hopped onto the thing now, his knives digging into the hole left by the sword on the creature¡¯s back, cutting at the softness underneath. It started tensing to jump again, Hitch getting off it with another quick hop right before it sprung up. It landed again, this time favoring its forelegs. It took them in, then repeated the previous pattern, launching itself at Mayhe who managed to dodge in time now. However, the thing did not stop, connecting to the wall, then bouncing off of it and jumping at Olivia, a claw extended. She managed to avoid the worst of it, but it cut through the shaft of her spear and left a long, shallow cut in her side. It then turned, stopping beside her, ready to strike again. The girl stabbed the sharp end of her weapon into the thing¡¯s leg and rolled away, avoiding another strike, the swordsman taking a swing and cutting into one side of the eyes. The creature tossed its head back, then started to flail wildly, the two claws threatening to cut apart anything they hit. The trio held back, then the beast slowed, tired out. They approached slowly, carefully, looking for the chance to end the thing, blue blood spurting from its side and back, two of the legs impaired. Hitch saw it tense, but was too slow. The thing jumped, its hind leg breaking off, the thing raising one claw and bringing it down in a fluid motion, the boy too slow in his attempt to jump away, seeing the impending blade descend. It did not connect. He was pushed aside, the other boy¡¯s arm where his body had been, getting severed by the immense force. Mayhe was smashed away by the claw rising, Hitch darting in and sinking his knives into the thing''s eyes, then twisting. Olivia had her knife in hand, doing the same to the other side of the creature¡¯s eyes, the blades meeting inside the head, turning the insides into mush. It rose again, tensing, the two kids leaving the knives in place and running away, Mayhe clutching at the stump where his arm once was. The beast flailed wildly, arms and legs all twitching, body spasming. It did not advance, however, eventually collapsing, the twitching continuing for a good while after. The golden letters once more settled at the center of the room, writing appearing in the air. ¡°You who have cut this one down, indulge in your victory. The Wood of the tree shall forever provide succor. Claim your prize now from the heart and leave more whole than you entered.¡± The center of the room slowly dipped, the trio moving away from it, then opened revealing a spiral staircase, greenish lights illuminating the way down. ¡°We won?¡± Hitch sounded surprised, Mayhe grinning as he worked to stem the bleeding, Olivia giving half of her spear and tying a makeshift tourniquet around the remainder of the limb, smiling at the boys. ¡°Give your stump here, Mayhe. And yeah, guess we did. Good job, even with¡± She eyed the arm, the blond shrugging. ¡°I¡¯ll live. Though really, this was far riskier than I expected. I hope it was worth it.¡± ¡°I was worried my knives wouldn¡¯t get past the shell at one point. I- I¡¯m glad we won. You guys did great¡± ¡°Wish it hadn¡¯t broken my spear though. We all did great.¡± Once the arm was as fixed as it could be Olivia picked it up, putting it into Mayhe¡¯s bag and they all descended down the stairs. It was a short climb, leading them into a small room. Three tables were there, each holding different items. One had a spear made of dark twisting wood, the point sharper than even the metal one¡¯s. It also held a set of armor made of that same dark wood as well as a pair of glass bottles filled with a yellow liquid. Another held a chest piece, gloves and shoes made of hardened leather, a couple small bags filled with some sort of spherical nuts or seeds and a palm sized dark wood mirror. The third had a set of armor too, this one made of leather rather than wood, a bottle filled with glowing, white substance and a book that looked very much like a Tome. Olivia headed for the first table, picking stuff off it. Hitch took the second, Mayhe moving to the third. They tried the armor on, the pieces fitting them perfectly. Olivia lifted her bottle¡¯s and looked them over. ¡°There¡¯s writing on the bottom. Says ¡°Speed¡± on both.¡± ¡°Mine says "Force "." Hitch pulled out one of the spherical seeds, then pressed on it in his palm, the thing popping in his hand as dark smoke started filling the room, dissipating fast. He put the bags and mirror into his backpack. ¡°These were all made for us, right? They have to be, seeing as how the clothing fits and the spear could be a replacement for the broken one.¡± ¡°It feels quite a bit better than my old spear, to be honest. More balanced, like it was made for me. So I¡¯d agree on that. Does that mean someone¡¯s watching us?¡± Mayhe shrugged, the book in his hand. ¡°I¡¯d bet on sorcery of some sort. There were those lights, and this whole place reeks of magical involvement. But I wanted to talk about something - we came here, but we can¡¯t hide what we found or how I lost my arm. So how do we tell everyone what happened?¡± The girl looked at him, face neutral. ¡°We tell the truth, right?¡± Hitch looked to the side, then up. ¡°I think we do, but maybe we say this was less planned? Like, say I found it when looking around, then you two came to help out. Rather than tell people that this was being kept from them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to lie, but maybe we don¡¯t need a schism. I¡¯m for truth. Mayhe?¡± ¡°I think we should be honest. Tell everyone we found it, it was scary, then when people died we went to see if there was maybe help, since obviously the outside is too dangerous not to take risks.¡± Hitch nodded, then they headed up. Chapter 6 The others heard them out, then a large group went over to check the tree out. None except the three of them could go in, the others being repelled by light forming a barrier at the entrance. They cut up the giant inside, then pulled it out piece by piece and brought it back to camp. Tar thought they could eat the insect, so he took it upon himself to cook it. They pulled pieces of it off, hard shell put aside for use in the future, the blades and mandibles possible weapons in times of need. Voysh watched the carcass be cut up further from the fireplace. ¡°Think there¡¯s more places like that?¡± Hitch sat down by the large boy. His eyes were over how Voysh still seemed hurt and he considered whether he would return to being as loud as he was before. But he doubted that. ¡°I think so. Would be odd for there to only be one place like that, right?¡± ¡°Right. You took Ponneltor¡¯s knife to fight that thing?¡± Hitch froze, then nodded. ¡°Good. He was a real warrior. I¡¯d like to think that felling that counts for him too.¡± ¡°He was a good guy.¡± They sat there for a bit, then Hitch got up and went to work on wood again. Pallia was up and there, and the two sat with no words exchanged, working. People kept coming up to him, asking for clarifications and simply to hear his perspective of a fight. He was tired. ¡ª It reflected both Sun and Flame, but took neither in. ¡ª Voysh was gone in the morning and so was Fita. Hari was the one on watch last and said the two had decided to go looking for a place like the tree to challenge themselves and Hari hadn¡¯t stopped them. During the night, Titor had shot one of the porcelain things in the woods and thought at least a few more had been around, though he hadn¡¯t really seen them. He approached Hitch along with Layah and another girl, Rer, a diminutive girl who¡¯d cut her hair short upon getting here and spent most of the time reading one of the Tomes. Layah was carrying a Tome too, the blue set one, while the other girl had the yellow one. ¡°Can we talk?¡± Layah was the one to speak up, the others on her sides. ¡°I guess. Wanna question me on the fight against that insect again?¡± ¡°Not exactly¡± she sat by him, Titor leaning against a tree, the small girl remaining where she was. ¡°We wanted to know how you found it.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, exactly. Mayhe noticed the markings, I just followed them.¡± ¡°Anything special about that? We¡¯ll ask him too, but we want to figure out as much as possible.¡± ¡°The trail started from these two rocks, so - I¡¯m assuming you intend to leave and look for another place like it?¡± The large boy shrugged. ¡±It¡¯s an idea we¡¯ve talked about, but nothing is certain.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯d look for odd places. Ones that look like they were made to be different, then look around from there. And the trail itself was one with a lot of hard to follow marks. Like the trail wanted to be found, but to be difficult about being completed.¡± The trio gave each other looks, Rer smiling just a tiny bit. Layah got up, eyes to the rest of the camp. ¡°Okay, thanks, we¡¯ll go bother Mayhe then. Grats on winning.¡± They left him to his work, a small shack already built using the planks they¡¯d made, though the lack of nails was a bit annoying but something they were working through. The wood they needed to make was getting more complex, Pallia coaching him and others who wanted to help more and more, though growing frustrated with it. ¡°I wish I could leave too. I¡¯m not even sure why I¡¯m staying if everyone will just run off? If they find some city or village, then all this work will have been a waste of time.¡± She spoke at him more than to him, working nearby, logs stacked nearby. ¡°I might leave too. I¡¯ll come back, I think, but¡­ I don¡¯t want to stay here all the time. ¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°And I do?! You get to go out, have some magical adventure while I get to stay here, trying not to bleed out all the holes in my body and after I get a bit better forced to work for some shitty structures no one cares about?¡± ¡°It was-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! Fuck, I¡¯m trying to do good.¡± Her knuckles were white, gripping the handle of an axe. ¡°And I know it¡¯s not fair to get pissy about it. But Mayhe lost an arm and I¡¯d gladly take his place right now, that¡¯s how I feel. To not feel so weak and trapped.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He didn¡¯t know what else to say, looking away from the teary eyed girl. ¡°I just need a moment. So yeah, go out, but don¡¯t just disappear. If you find something cool, let me know?¡± ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I will.¡± She walked away, leaving him alone, returning a while later to continue working in silence. ¡ª He¡¯d gone off after dinner to look around. The day was coming to a close, explorers and hunters returning for the day. Titor had caught a small deer they were preparing now, then Layah had announced that the three of them would be going away for a while. Hitch had left when they were arguing about how much provisions they could take from the camp¡¯s stock. He¡¯d never been an argumentative person. He didn¡¯t think of himself as a pushover, but he could see some describing him that way. Easy to pull along, drag into their ideas, if not agreeing than accepting them and not fighting. If he did well enough, maybe he could stand for himself in the way he wanted. As the sky darkened, the moon not illuminating nearly enough to see in the woods he headed back to the fire. On his way he felt something off and turned, coming face to face with a large creature. It was a couple heads taller than him, was holding a spear in its arms and had a long tail. The face of the thing was reptilian, eyes focused on the boy. He drew his knives, then froze. ¡°Ssenhtza.¡± The thing spoke at him, the short boy taking a step back. ¡°I don¡¯t understand you, but please leave me alone.¡± The reptile-like started making a noise again, then stopped and pointed at itself. ¡°Ssamalih.¡± He copied the motion. ¡°Hitch.¡± ¡°Shitsch¡± He nodded, the thing copying him this time, then slinking off into the darkness. Hitch returned to his camp, then once more decided to keep a secret, heading to blissful sleep. ¡ª The Moon waged no war tonight, yet it was still exhausted. ¡ª In the morning Layah, Titor and Rer were gone. The camp was emptier than before, despite being a tad more developed. It hadn¡¯t rained in a while but the plants around them didn¡¯t seem to mind much. He walked into another argument, Olivia talking loudly with Anika about also leaving to explore. ¡°I just think that - what if we find something? It doesn¡¯t sound bad to bring things back home, right?¡± ¡°It sounds an awful lot like just leaving. And at that point, why are we not all just running off?¡± ¡°Cause¡­¡± ¡°We could, don¡¯t get me wrong. But I¡¯d rather not just lose everyone, you know? I think that would suck way more. And we can go exploring once we¡¯re more set here. Or maybe someone will find us, help out?¡± Hitch got his food and walked off to where Mayhe and Luce were practicing. Despite the missing arm, Mayhe was soundly winning the bout. Luce had his shield up, eyes trying to track the other boy, but his movement was too slow and he got a stick jabbed into his side, then one of his legs struck. The blows were light and Mayhe let up after a few more, smiling at Hitch. ¡°Wann join us?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass, maybe another time. You sure you should be running around?¡± ¡°I feel great, really. Miss the arm some, but it doesn''t hurt at all.¡± ¡°Hmm, alright. Just watch yourself.¡± ¡ª- He¡¯d spent the day working on wood and keeping watch around camp. After dinner, Anika motioned for him to follow and the two went for a walk a bit off the camp. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°About?¡± She sighed. ¡°All this. Being trapped here, people leaving. Maybe we should all split up?¡± ¡°I think there¡¯s safety in numbers, but there is a draw to just going and exploring.¡± ¡°Ugh, I know. And I wish to go out and just look for some cave with a magic sword waiting for me, but I also think just making sure we have food, water and shelter is important. Tell me you agree.¡± ¡°I do, I do. We¡¯ve got plenty of people working to make this a good place.¡± ¡°If a few more leave, don¡¯t you think the rest would go out too?¡± ¡°Uhm, maybe? I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re asking me of all people.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t talked much, have we? I¡¯m trying to have chats with everyone, figure out what¡¯s happening.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s my turn today?¡± ¡°Yup, so better tell me all that you think is wrong.¡± ¡°When did you become our leader?¡± She stopped, turning away from him. ¡°No one else took charge, right? And we needed to be organized.¡± ¡°Fair. If you want to take charge, maybe we could just have work assigned rather than just do whatever? Pallia was complaining about needing more hands at building. Not that other stuff isn¡¯t important.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better if people do what they¡¯re good at, but I¡¯ll talk to people about it. Have a nice night, Hitch.¡± ¡°You too.¡± He went to his spot, laying down, the others still milling around and chatting. ¡ª The Moon was dim an- ¡ª Hitch was woken up in the middle of the night for his watch. He sat with Nargha, the girl¡¯s long hair tied up, the two not really looking at one another. She tried starting a conversation a few times, but it didn¡¯t really go anywhere. When he tried the same, the chat also died a few sentences in, though the two managed to settle into a not quite comfortable silence. He woke the next shift after and went back to sleep. ¡ª -d not offering much light, waiting for its time. Chapter 7 There was more of the same discussion. People spoke of leaving, others were asking for more people to stay and help out. Anika and Pallia were trying to herd people into tasks, trying to build a second shack, one for sleeping in this time. Then, it appeared again. Four arms, huge, swinging. A large white blur rushing. A strike hit Anika, blasting her into the pile of wood. A swarm of the smaller creatures was running in from the woods, wind catching on their mouths. Isolated, the sound was unnoticeable, but together, there was a haunting melody of wind blowing over the pits in their faces. The kids grabbed their weapons, some slow or far from their things. Mayhe was already striking at the largest one, his sword glowing, each swing extending further than it should as the light itself cut at the large being. Olivia and Hari joined him, the former jabbing at the thing from behind while the latter shot at it from a decent distance. Hitch ran towards the group of things, kicking and slicing at them as best as he could. One of the four armed menaces grabbed onto his waist, holding him tight. It tried digging its nails into the boy, but couldn¡¯t get past the armor before getting a smack from a handle on the head, causing the lights in its eyes to go out. Tar extended one of his hands towards the mass, then spoke, his words not sounding like they were his own. ¡°THAPE!¡± A ball of white flame sprouted from his hand, then launched itself into the mass of things and exploded, scattering them and breaking a fair number of them completely. The small boy nearly collapsed after the single word, but drew a knife and stood behind Hitch, who pulled a few of the cores from his bag and tossed them at the things. Smoke covered them, their noises changing from ones of menace to disorder. The large one managed to toss Olivia aside, her feet sliding along the ground before she stopped. As his attention was turned, Mayhe cut into its side, cracking the porcelain and revealing a pulsing white mass within. The crack started to slowly mend itself, one of the hands covering it as others reached for the boy who had already darted away. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. An arrow hit the large one¡¯s back, not sinking in, a few of the smaller ones trying to circle to where Hari was shooting from. Luce intercepted, leaving the part he was at before open for them to stream in through, a group running over to the big one and doing their best to encircle and restrain Mayhe and Olivia. Pallia cleaved three of them straight through, the large thing facing her fully. ¡°Clean up the little one¡¯s, I can handle this one for a bit.¡± The two focused on dealing with the swarm, jabs and sweeps clearing out the things while Pallia struck at the creature, claw meeting sword. One of its nails broke, but another hand went for the girl, cutting her side. She stepped back, hand against the cut, not deep enough to force her down but painful and make each movement more costly. It came at her again, arms raised, all striking at her, impossible to block or deflect. A spear pierced through the crack in its side before it could bring those arms down. It smashed the spears shaft, Olivia letting go of it, the weapon too deep inside the thing to be pulled out easily. Pallia went on the offensive again, the tip of her sword against the white shell it had on, hands on hilt and pommel, driving the point into it. Another crack appeared, then the blade dug in proper, the thing grabbing her and throwing her away. She managed to find her balance and not fall, her back scratched and muscles tense. The thing was bleeding, or close to it. Each pulse of its insides caused some of them to fall out, frothing once they hit the grass. It let out a shrill sound as it pulled the spear out and tossed it aside, the still intact smaller creatures starting to flee, the large one running past Olivia and into the woods after them. Mayhe swung his sword, the light launched off the sword as a wave, cutting the creature¡¯s leg, causing it to stumble. Anika was on it moments later, bringing an axe down on the cut, severing foot from body. It twisted and tried to claw at her, Luce blocking the blow, claws bouncing off his shield. She swung again, this time the blow sliding off the thing¡¯s leg, cracking it slightly. It started to rise, letting out another noise, using a hand to steady itself against the tree. Luce tackled it, the porcelain beast crossing its arms to defend. Hitch crept in beside it from behind the tree, jumped, then stabbed a knife at one of the gem eyes, cutting and cracking it but failing to drive it deep. The sounds it made were many, loud, all high and clear. It tried swiping at the people surrounding it, barely keeping itself upright. It was oozing from both holes, movements slowing. It swung out at Anika again, who stepped back, a little spooked. As its guard lowered, Olivia dove in to attack again, spear piercing the beast. It swung its head to look at her, then collapsed, never to move again. Chapter 8 The thing was dead. Its body lay in the center now, cracked porcelain still letting the grey liquid drip out onto the ground. The grass where it leaked was more vibrant, growing taller already and Nargha was investigating it excitedly. She had a bit of the grey on her dark hair and had applied a bit on a small cut Luce had on his leg, the skin already closing. Hitch was sitting against one of the trees. He¡¯d failed to wound the large one, at least in any way that mattered. And it was the big one that had mattered, the leader, the threat. But it was dead now, Hari digging through its guts. ¡°Hey, check this out.¡± They pulled out a grey - or at least grey blood covered - object from the guts of the fallen creature. It was palm sized and made of the same hard porcelain material the shell was made of, with seven small protrusions around it. In the center it had a small clear gem, and as Hari lifted it light caught on it, or it emitted it. Hari¡¯s eyes lit up in that same light, then they let out a grunt. ¡°SIAR?¡± As the word left their mouth, a light moved slowly from their hand to Anika, coating her in the warm light and gently closing her wounds. Once the glow subsided, Hari fell to their knees, catching their breath, the trinket still in their hand. ¡°Fu-fuck¡± they panted out, Anika running over the moment the light stopped with questions, Nargha and Hitch approaching too, the group surrounding Hari. ¡°What happened? Are you alright? I feel way better than before, can you do that again?¡± ¡°I- blegh- I don¡¯t think so. Not right now, at least. It¡¯s like using a Tome, I think. But it only has one thing in it. I think, anyway.¡± Nargha reached out for the metal thing and Hari handed it over without a fight, Hitch offering a hand to them and helping them to their feet. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not doing anything for me¡­¡± ¡°Might be spent?¡± Hari shook their head at Anika¡¯s idea. ¡°No, I can feel it. I think it¡¯s mine.¡± They blushed a bit, waving their arms and talking faster. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t wanna share, I just mean that I think it imprinted on me or something. I can feel where it is without looking at it.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°That¡¯s useful to know. There might be more things like this, so we should run some tests.¡± Anika took the thing as she talked, Nargha having gotten her fill of looking at it, then handed the trinket back to Hari. Hitch, quiet up till now, looked over to the camp. ¡°Think it can heal more? Like Mayhe?¡± ¡°Maybe? I feel like that would be a bit much, but I¡¯ll try once I have more¡­ more¡­ me?¡± ¡°Maybe talk to Tar about how magic works? He¡¯s the only one left with a Tome here.¡± Hari nodded, walking to where the mage boy was, Hitch heading to look over the other dead creatures alongside Nargha, joining Kunit as she cut out the gemstones from their eyes. ¡ª Hari couldn¡¯t restore the arm in the end. They managed to heal up some cuts and bruises, but got tired out. Using magic took a lot out of the caster, and even after they recovered energy drawing upon the spell again cost more and more each time unless given time to rest properly. Tar was talking about the Tomes to the people gathered, books filled with magic but extremely difficult to read through. ¡°I¡¯m still working through it, but all I¡¯m able to use is THAPE for now. I¡¯m hoping to learn how to enchant a weapon so it¡¯d be on fire, but it needs a lot of study. So it¡¯s really interesting how just finding the thing allowed Hari to cast.¡± Hari shrugged, sitting against a tree, no one else offering much of an idea. Pallia returned while they were talking, bringing back some fruit and looking really excited. ¡°I found another one!¡± Anika was the one to speak, all eyes on the returnee girl. ¡°Found what?¡± ¡°Like the tree. It¡¯s this hedge maze looking thing. I came across it, and the entrance now has my name. It said that only three can enter and that we¡¯d need to struggle for something. So¡­ Who wants to join me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too dangerous?¡± ¡°Anika, please, don¡¯t worry. You can join me, we¡¯ll find some more good stuff and win, be ready for when something comes to attack us again.¡± ¡°Just- go eat up, we¡¯ll talk about it later, once everyone¡¯s here, okay?¡± Pallia rolled her eyes and nodded, then hurried off towards the fire, keeping her annoyance silent. ¡ª ¡°Let¡¯s put it to a vote then.¡± Anika held her head in her hands, the arguing having gone on for a good while this evening. Pallia wanted to go, and wasn¡¯t about to be stopped. Mayhe wasn¡¯t against it, but was the one with the most ability to stop her. ¡°I think people who want to go should go. Just be aware that it¡¯s dangerous. If I could have my arm back, I would like to. But also - it¡¯s dangerous. You can die without going to a place that¡¯s likely to have magic rewards for you.¡± ¡°Exactly! So I want to go. I want to be prepared for next time.¡± Her eyes were full of determination, full of need. ¡°You might die.¡± Nargha spoke up for the first time in this conversation. ¡°I might die even if I do nothing.¡± In the end, it didn¡¯t come down to a vote. Pallia, Anika and Luce were the ones going. They would prepare, take as much supplies as they could, then set out tomorrow, hopefully returning the same day. ¡ª The Moon gazed down, biding its time once more. Chapter 9 Evening came without the trio returning. Hitch was growing anxious, finishing up a hut and glancing at the path, expecting them to return any moment now. There were three small houses built in total now - one for storage, two for sleeping, bedding made of leftover sacks and dried grass. Hitch, Mayhe, Tar, Hari and Luce would be staying in this one, leaving Anika, Palia, Olivia, Kunit and Nargha in the other one. Once done Hitch went for a walk, Tar tagging along, nervous as well. ¡°They¡¯ll be fine, right? I feel like I should have gone with them. I do have magic, what if they need it badly?¡± ¡°Tar, they¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine. They have to be fine.¡± Hitch sped up, eyes on the trees, biting his lip as Tar followed. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, nothing we can do now.¡± Tar clenched his fists, shook his head and had a little heat spread through his limbs, warming him up a little. The two walked to the stream and quenched their thirst and heard the leaves rustling. Looking at them were two people, a man and a woman. The man had a shield on his back and was leaning on a spear, dressed in thick leather armor, his hair dark and short, hands calloused. The woman had a large hammer strapped to her back and was reaching for it upon noticing the two boys, her hair similarly dark and short, face covered in cut scars. She spoke up as the man changed the grip on his spear, the two staying at a distance from the two boys. ¡°Grits, travelers. Are you friend or foe?¡± Tar took a step back, leaving the other boy to talk, a hand on the hilt of one of his daggers. ¡°Friend, I¡¯d hope. Are you here for some water?¡± ¡°Just passing by, decided to fill our waterskins. You two here with your family? Quite a way off the road.¡± ¡°We¡­ not really. We¡¯re quite lost, actually. Could you tell us where we are now?¡± The man and woman traded glances, then she smiled. ¡°Lost you say? How did you two get lost all the way over here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story, can you tell us where we are or not?¡± She grinned, grasping her hammer in both hands, then took a step forward, the man holding his spear in both hands too. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters. Are there others cursed children with you?¡± Tar spoke up after taking a few heavy breaths. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Answer the question and I will make it swift.¡± She kept smiling, then the man jumped forward, his spear aimed at Hitch¡¯s chest. The boy managed to draw a dagger and push the tip aside, turning his body to the side and barely dodging the blow. He crushed one of the dark seeds in his hand, tossing the dark smoke at the man¡¯s eyes, the darkness spreading out. The woman was approaching too, swinging her hammer and forcing him back again, not giving him the opportunity to use the dagger for attack. ¡°THAW.¡± Tar held his hand outstretched, nothing happening for a second other than the feeling of his power leaving his body. Then, the hammer the woman was wielding ignited, causing her to drop it. ¡°Damn it! Galen, get the mage before he blows us up!¡± She yelled out, the man pivoting towards where Tar had spoken up, darkness still covering his face. The small boy was already retreating, running towards the camp. Hitch darted towards the woman, dagger aimed at her side. She turned fast, a burned hand blocking his strike, taking the blade into itself. Her other hand struck out for his head, grabbing him by his hair and dragging him, slamming him into a tree and eliciting a yell, his side bruised and insides screaming in pain. He had let his dagger go, falling on the ground as it slipped from the wounded hand. He reached for another, but was stopped by a heavy kick into his stomach. He nearly passed out from the pain, but had enough sense to roll away from a stomp. Tar was faring better, his enemy blinded, but he was not fast enough to be able to cast. The man was delivering swift stab after stab, the boy doing his best to dodge. But he wasn¡¯t fast enough, getting stabbed in the thigh, then falling down on the ground. ¡°Why are you doing this!?¡± The man didn¡¯t answer Tar and stabbed down at him, the strike aimed directly at the boy¡¯s heart. ¡°THA-¡± The boy coughed, unable to finish casting, the failed attempts having drained too much power from him. However, the spear was turned aside by another. A lizard person, azure scales covering its body, hidden under some loose dark clothes and leather pads. She used her tail to push aside the man, then jabbed at him to force him back and stepped in between him and Tar. ¡°Assin shuther shosh, achtontah!¡± The man drew back further, the lizard following after him, Tar back on his feet. Hitch was still down, the woman having delivered another powerful kick into his chest and was now pivoting to help her partner, the hammer back in her hand. ¡°Aza, fall back.¡± The man¡¯s voice was cold, authoritative. He took one look at the woman, who was ready to jump on the lizard, but then gave him a small nod, the two starting to retreat. The lizard person stayed between the duo and the boys, letting them disappear into the woods. ¡°Ushse.¡± She turned to the two boys again, Tar frozen, Hitch barely conscious, getting picked up and carried back to the camp, the fire wielder having wrapped his leg and walking back too.