《Dino Biologist》


 Prolouge

    "Dude, that''s ridiculous. Of course she''s into you. She asked me for your number." I leaned over the deck railing and grabbed an unopened beer from some dude''s hand.


    "Hey!" he hollered. He turned, saw it was me, and broke into a smile. "Tank! You''re good, bro!" He wandered away, presumably to find more alcohol.


    "But how do you know?" Daniel, my best friend, said next to me. He took a sip of his own drink, staring up at the cloudless night. Our breath condensed in the cold November air, bright against the dark sky. "She could be lying."


    "True, but I doubt. You''re a rising Senior, the best wide receiver we''ve got, and you''re nice. You''re a catch, bro." I looked out over the party raging below us, leaning my hands on the railing. Everyone was having a blast, and a smile spread across my face. We had done it. We had finished the season 11-1, giving the Rebels a winning record for the first time in decades and everyone was celebrating. My thoughts drifted to next week. This time next week, I would be married. I would be dancing with my wife and drinking with my friends, prepping for the play-offs, and a smile grew on my lips. Daniel continued to stress, dragging me from my thoughts. Music bumped in the background, muffled by the house and providing a sound track to his constant worrying.


    "She said she wanted to ''meet up''. What the fuck does that mean?"


    "You''re stressing too much, brother. It''ll either work out or it won''t. And if it doesn''t, then it wasn''t meant to be."


    "Easy for you to say." he grumbled, taking another sip. "You''ve got Jennifer. You''re going to be a Biologist and she''s gonna do real-estate. Y''all''ve got your lives planned out. I don''t."


    "And I had to take chances to do it." I replied, placing a meaty fist on my friend''s shoulder. "I believe in you. Just ask her for coffee. Go to the Student Center or whatever, just ask her."


    "Yo, Tank!" somebody called from the crowd. I looked up and saw the Right Guard, Johnny, coming up to me. He stumbled up the few stairs from the yard onto the deck and wobbled there. I reached out and held him steady.


    "You good, Johnny?" I asked, grinning. The big man grinned back at me drunkenly, laughing.


    "Never better, dude! Yo, some of the guys and I were talkin'' and were wonderin'', where''d that hit on 23 come from? You took his fuckin'' head off!" My smile fell from my face and I glowered, looking away. Our last game, the one we had just finished, had been fantastic. We ran Mississippi State up and down the field and held them to a field goal while we scored seventy. I had one of the best games of my college career, too. I made every block and even showed some athleticism, recovering a fumbled snap and turning it into a five yard gain. The one bad thing was the Unnecessary Roughness on 23. Harper, my Quarterback, had thrown a long ball at the end of the second quarter, trying to get another score in. It was picked off by Mississippi State''s Corner Back, # 23. He booked it down field, dodging and weaving around my teammates. I, in a moment completely unlike myself, felt a rage overtake me. It was unlike any I''d ever experienced and I tore after the Corner, ignoring the stinging in my chest. I caught him faster than I had expected and, rather than push him out of bounds like normal, I lowered my head and hit. He also lowered his head and braced, meaning my shoulder went straight into his temple. Now, I''m a large fella, 6''6" 320 lbs and can bench 405. That little dude never stand a chance. He spun and crashed to the ground, flopping bonelessly. Thankfully, the trainers were quick and he gave a thumbs up as they carted him off the field, so that''s a good sign. At least I didn''t kill him.


    "I don''t know." I said, glowering into my drink. That rage was familiar, the same growling and grunting, and though I couldn''t see what my face looked like when I hit him, I bet it looked like his. Fuckin'' smiling. I drained the rest of the beer and crushed it against my forehead, tossing the crumpled blue and white can into the trash.


    "Well, find it, ''cause we''re gonna need it for the Natty!" Johnny screamed the last bit and the crowd joined him, hooting and hollering. He wandered away, seemingly having forgotten about our conversation. I scoffed.


    "I''m going to find Jen." I told Daniel as I grabbed two beers from the cooler. "You should go find Penelope. I saw her over by the pool looking lonely earlier. The night''s still young. Play your cards right and who knows?"


    "Yeah, yeah." Daniel sighed. He turned and walked down the steps, fading into the crowd. I turned back towards the house, bracing myself. Opening the sliding glass door, I was met with a wall of noise. People screaming over each other was drowned out by a loud, thumping bass that shook my bones. Throngs of people were in the Frat house that night, probably more than there should have been, but that was okay. It had been a huge win and we deserved to let go a little. I smiled as I made my way through the crowd, gently when I could and not so gently when I couldn''t. After the third person got lifted, they started to get out of my way. The noise faded as I made my way up to the third floor, where my room was, my smile widening as I thought about who was waiting for me. My wife. The love of my life. My footsteps were light walking down the hall. I felt incredible, like I could do anything. I was riding the high of victory, and loving every second of it. I put my hand on my doorknob and stumbled, my head a little fuzzy. Damn, maybe I drank more than I thought.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Jen?" I asked as I pushed the door open. Only silence responded, and the smile fell from my face. Jennifer, my fianc¨¦, stared back at me, wide mouthed. She had her hands on a pair of ankles and was naked, sitting on the person''s lap, in my bed. My mouth began to hurt as my lips sank, quivering as tears formed in my eyes.


    "Jennifer?" the man behind my fianc¨¦ said, and I froze. I knew that voice. I heard it call every play in the huddle, every day at practice. I heard it call me its brother. I was supposed to protect it. "Babe?"


    The tears wouldn''t come, as much as I wanted them to. They burned at my eyes but refused to fall. I stared at the woman who was to be my wife, my heart breaking in two.


    "Don''t look at me like that." Jen said. "Don''t look at me like that, Marshall! You.. you don''t understand! Anthony''s going pro and..." I watched numbly as Anthony Harper bucked his hips and clenched Jennifer''s. He moved fast and hard, their sounds grotesque to my ears. She gasped and threw her head back, her eyes not leaving mine. Mine sank down and caught a flash of white on her hand. She was still wearing our engagement ring as she fucked my Quarterback.


    "Marshall?" Harper asked, panting with exertion. He laughed. "Is that Tank? Tell him to get out. He can have you when I''m done." My eyes returned to Jen''s blue ones. I searched for anything, for any kind of remorse or guilt, but found nothing. Jennifer groaned long and low, cursing and leaning against Harper''s legs, panting hard. I closed my eyes and left.


    ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************


    I sat on the wooden steps of the deck just after midnight, drinking whiskey straight from the bottle and staring at the grass, unseeing. I took another swig of the rot gut whiskey and looked to the sky, searching for the moon and finding nothing. On the other side of the yard, I caught sight of Daniel and a girl holding each other close, swaying to an unheard beat. They kissed, and I took another swig. And then shit went south.


    "Help!" someone screamed. It rang out over the music and noise, piercing the night. "Fire!" I sprang to my feet, or I tried too. I fell into the grass, the whiskey making everything more difficult. I growled, forcing myself to my feet and up the stairs, charging through the glass door. It shattered around me and blasted me with a wave of heat. Terrified people flooded past me, pushing me back outside. I yelled and they moved aside a little. The heat worsened as I advanced through the house, searching for my target. Smoke was starting to fill the halls and the fire alarm blared loudly, not doing my head any favors. The living room was a distraction, however. Five people were passed out drunk in the middle of the room. I looked around for someone to help me, but found no one. Cursing, I picked one up and fell over.


    "Fuck!" I screamed, raging against the world. Why is this happening to me? That same anger from earlier today ignited in my soul, driving me to my feet. I grabbed one person by the collar and picked them up, taking them outside and setting them on the grass. I had time to carry another out before I saw the flames. They raced across the wooden house, consuming everything. I growled and picked up two of the people, dragging/shuffling out of the house. Heaving great breaths and trying not to puke, Growling in rage, I charged back into the house. The last person lay in the middle of the room, not yet burning, but the flames were close. My skin turned red and started to blister as I grabbed them and hauled them out.


    I turned, breathing heavily and coughing. I watched as the bottom floor of my frat house went up in flames when movement caught my eye. Someone was on the third floor, moving around and I saw a light flip on.


    "Jen." I whispered, all pain forgotten. Without thinking, I bounded back up the wooden steps and into the flames. The entire living room was aflame, and I put my hands up to block my face. The flames roared in my ears and I coughed heavily, my lungs filling with smoke. I set my sights on the stairs and made a beeline for them, taking them two at a time, or as best I could, and made it to the unburned third floor relatively ok. Only a little of me had been singed and the alcohol and adrenaline made pain a non-factor. I burst into my room, my heart once again shattering. Jen and Harper were asleep in my bed, cuddling each other. The rage flickered again and an idea formed. I could leave them, let them burn. They''re asleep. I could turn around, check the other rooms and come back. I growled, shaking my head. She''s still Jen. She''s still the woman I fell in love with. I grabbed Jennifer''s arm and pulled her out of the bed into my arms and turned around. Her first, then the others. I moved to the stairs, a little slower this time. I felt unbalanced and the stairs swam in my vision, but I had to get her out. The heat grew again as I descended the stairs. The flames had reached the second floor and I cursed. That wasn''t good. Still, though, I descended.


    The bottom floor was a living hell. I couldn''t see anything but red and operated off of feel alone. Soon enough, I could feel a cold draft sucking the flames away and followed, bursting out into the icy night. I coughed violently, stumbling down the stairs and crashing to the cool grass. I laid there, spinning and wheezing, looking up at the dark, starless sky. I coughed hard, my breathing getting a little shallower with each exhale. I reached out for Jen, holding her hand in mine. My skin was dark and black against her pearlescence, and I couldn''t feel her hand. Tears slipped from my eyes as I stared at my wife, the woman who broke my heart. I closed them, trying to stop the tears, and they never opened again.

 Chapter 1: Arrival

    I opened my eyes to a sky of green and was lying on something cool. It wasn''t cold exactly, but it sure wasn''t warm. I sat bolt up, my mind racing and breathing heavily. What the hell just happened? Where am I? Where''s Jen? I was not in Mississippi anymore, that was certain. We didn''t have jungles like this. We had our forests, yes, but nothing this dense. I could barely see the blue sky above me through the canopy above me, and I smiled. It felt amazing here. The smile fell from my face as I remembered the fire. My friends. My wife. Shaking my head and forcing the thoughts of sadness, loss, and betrayal from my mind with a grunt, I focused back on my surroundings. The bird calls were not what I was used to and the insects sounded big and angry. My heart rate started to rise just a little and I forced myself to my feet.


    "Alright." I said. "First thing''s first."


    "Please choose a name." a lady said from nowhere.


    "What the fuck?" I asked, whirling around and looking for the speaker. I found nothing. I brushed it off as a halucination when the voice spoke again.


    "Please select a name." A blue screen with black lettering appeared in my vision. The words PLEASE SELECT A NAME were written on it, and the word NAME flashed through multiple different styles, none of which I recognized. The voice repeated the instruction and a cursor flashed below the words and getting a little louder when I didn''t respond.


    "Alright!" I hollered into the air. "Fine. Just shut up. My name is Marshall." I watched as my name typed itself out on the screen.


    "Thank you." the robot woman said in my head. "Name Marshall has been accepted. Welcome to Carminal, Marshall." A green check drew itself over the screen and it blinked out of existence. Shaking my head in wonder, I tried to take some control back. I reached down and touched my toes, stretching my body. It was sore and tight, so I ran through my morning stretches, taking the opportunity to explore my ''new'' body and trying to process quite a bit. I still looked the same, thank God, tan skin and strong muscles from football. I reached up and ran my hands through soft, dark, tangled hair that hung down over my collar. It was annoying and I spent a few seconds tugging the knots out of it. Speaking of my clothes, I was dressed in what appeared to be farmers clothes, but made of super soft material. They were soft and light, but a regular ass tan color. I frowned. I didn''t own clothes like these. Something jingled in my pocket and I pulled out a velvet bag absolutely filled with gold coins, and my mouth fell open. I picked one up, feeling the weight in my palm. It was heavy like actual gold and glinted in the beam of sunlight that filtered through the canopy. It had a picture of me on one side with my arms crossed over my chest and a shit eating grin on my face. The other side had a pair of crystal knives crossed over each other. I stared in wonder at the coins, counting out each one. There were thirty of them and they all looked the same. Flabbergasted by this fever dream I now found myself in, I replaced the coins in the velvet bag and returned them to my pocket where they fucking DISAPPEARED. I felt the coins and the bag vanish when I put them in my pocket. Panicked, I tried to pull them out again and they came out with ease, with all thirty coins still present and accounted for. "What the actual fuck is going on?" I whispered, putting the coins back in my pocket and praying I would be able to find them again.


    "Ok." I said, clapping my hands together and trying to ignore the rising panic in my chest. "Where am I?" First order of business is to secure a water source. I nodded, setting my mind on my goal. It''s a damn shame I didn''t pay attention in geography class. "God help me." I whispered as I picked a direction, and started walking.


    My feet crunched through the undergrowth and semi-dead leaves. The soft leather boots I wore did a fantastic job of protecting my feet from branches and thorns and shit. Every sense was on high alert and I jumped at almost every sound, though. It''s safe to say I was extraordinarily stressed. The jungle around me was strange and unfamiliar, making every noise and animal call that much more terrifying. After what felt like hours of walking but was probably no more than two, my mouth started to get a little dry. The wet, warm air had been doing a decent job of not dehydrating me, but it could only do so much. Right as I had that thought, I heard the sweet sound of running water to my right. I moved through the undergrowth as quietly as I could and smiled when I saw the river. It wasn''t too wide, really more of a stream, but deep. I could tell because the banks were high, though the water low. Still high enough for me to crouch on the bank and drink from my hands, but I''d have to lean down a little ways to reach the water. I paused and held my breath, listening intently. I couldn''t hear anything out of the ordinary, or at least what I had come to associate as ordinary. The same birds and insects screamed and called, and I was emboldened by my dry throat. I dashed forward and knelt by the stream, driving my hands into the fast moving water. I raised my hands to my lips and sniffed carefully. It smelled like water, but I was still nervous. I stuck my tongue out and lightly licked some. It was cool and sweet, so I drank the remainder. I sighed deeply and drank another handful. The water was fresh and clean, and I thanked my lucky stars I had found some running water. I knew I was supposed to boil it first to ensure all the bacteria was out, but I was fuckin'' thirsty. I drank a third handful and froze. The birds and insects had gone silent. Predator. I rose to my feet, ready to sprint in any direction, when I caught sight of red on the green grass. I frowned, cocking my head in confusion. It looked like blood and when the wind shifted, I could smell it. It was blood. Uh-oh.


    A growl grew from the right. It was low and quiet at first, but slowly got louder. I turned slowly and carefully, trying not to disturb whatever was watching me. A dark shape moved from the brush, agonizingly slow. The growl got louder when I faced the creature head on.


    It was a wolf, but far larger than one I had ever seen before. It stood nearly four and a half feet at the shoulders and its dark blue, almost black fur was matted with dried blood. The wolf limped heavily, clearly favoring its right side. Its front left paw was held in the air and blood dripped freely from it, leaving a trail in the grass, and it struggled to put weight on it. I crouched at the knees, ready to bolt should the creature charge, but it looked too injured to do anything. I stood up straight and held my hands out to either side, showing the wolf that I held nothing in them. It growled a little bit louder but stopped moving forward, hunching back on its legs and looking like it wanted to bolt.


    "What''s wrong?" I whispered, narrowing my eyes at the paw. I damn near had a heart attack when my vision zoomed in on the paw like a camera and I could see a huge splinter sticking out of it. "You''re hurt?" The wolf snarled at me, baring its white teeth, and sat, licking at its paw and whimpering. "That looks bad. Is that your blood?" The wolf didn''t answer me, just watched me with wet, blue eyes and continued whimpering. It laid down on its side, breathing heavily, apparently having given up on chasing me. I approached it with short, shuffling steps. It was hurt and clearly in pain. Maybe I could do something?This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Will you let me have a look?" I asked when I was five feet away. The wolf didn''t answer of course, but it did lay its head down on the soft grass and continued to look at me. Taking that as a YES, I crept forward and crouched out of the wolf''s striking range. "Please don''t bite me." I whispered as I reached for its paw. The wolf growled and I stopped, staring at it. It looked back at me and I saw fear and pain in its sky blue eyes. I moved my hand away from the paw and held it out for the wolf to smell. It sniffed carefully, then laid its head back down on the grass. Emboldened, I reached out and pet the wolf on its back, running my hand over its soft fur. I sighed as the familiar scent and feel of dog hit me and I smiled, taking comfort in the familiarity. We sat like that for a minute or two, me just petting the wolf and it staring at me.


    "Will you let me look now?" I asked, moving back to the paw. The wolf didn''t growl this time and sat patiently as I examined the wound. I wasn''t a veterinarian, but I was a Biologist in training, and I could do something. The wound was deep and the splinter larger than originally thought. I expected it to be three or four inches total, but when I looked, there were three or four inches of wood sticking out of its paw. I gasped softly and looked at the creature, its eyes still full of pain. I pet it with my other hand and whispered: "I will help you. Damn, I wish I had some anti-septic and gauze." Even as I said it, I felt something pull at the center of my chest. It wasn''t uncomfortable, but I hadn''t been expecting it and groaned. It felt like something was being dragged up from the core of my body and thrust out through my chest. The wolf lurched, trying to get away from me.


    "No, wait!" I said, moving with it and keeping myself next to the creature. "I''m sorry." I looked around, trying to figure out what the hell had happened, when my mouth fell open. There, where the wolf and I had just been, was a bottle of anti-septic and a roll of gauze. "What the fuck is going on here?" I wondered aloud as I picked the items up. Nothing responded and I refocused on the wolf. I took hold of its paw once again and the creature growled softly. I shhh''d it and pet it gently, whispering kind words as I took hold of the splinter.


    "This is going to hurt," I whispered to the wolf. "but it will be over soon. Please don''t bite me." With that, I pulled the splinter free with a gush of blood. The wolf howled in pain but didn''t bite, nor did it move away. I placed the splinter next to me and out of stepping range, picked up the anti-septic, and poured it over the wound. The wolf whimpered as I bent and blew on the white bubbles until they were all gone. I wiped some of the blood and fluid away with a piece of gauze, looking at the wound. It wasn''t wide and wouldn''t require stitches, which was awesome because we were at the limit of my first-aid knowledge. It was extremely deep, however, and I was concerned. I''d need to get it to a doctor ASAP. I gently wrapped the paw with some of the gauze, tearing it with my teeth. I wrapped it as tightly as I could and tied a stick into it so it wouldn''t come off. Sitting back on my haunches, I looked at my work. Not bad, if I do say so myself. It wasn''t perfect, but it would keep the dirt and things out of the wound so it could heal. I pet the wolf some more, enjoying the feel of its fur and trying to comfort it.


    "There you go." I whispered, running my hand up and down its spine. "You''re better now." The wolf looked at me and moved its head towards my free hand. I froze, unsure of what it was doing, when its pink tongue moved out and licked my hand. I grinned and pet the wolf a little harder. "Wish I had some steak for you." I said longingly. "Me, too, really. I''m a little hungry." That same sensation from before came, but stronger this time. I groaned, putting my hand to my head and resting further on my heels. The wolf whined and struggled to its stomach, looking at me with concern. When my vision cleared, I stared in wonder at the two perfectly cooked steaks on white plates sitting in the grass. Steam still rose from the meat. "Alright. Apparently I can summon things. Is there a limit to what I can summon?"


    "Error." the robot lady said. She hadn''t spoken in a few hours and I jumped when she did.


    "Can you not do that?" I shouted at the sky.


    "Error." was all she said in response. I shook my head and sighed, standing up and grabbing the two plates. I hadn''t gotten any utensils, but that didn''t matter. The wolf and I dug into the warm, perfectly cooked meat with gusto. Grease dripped down my chin as I ripped and tore with my teeth like a savage. Momma would have had a conniption had she seen me. I smiled at the thought, reaching over and petting the wolf on its head. The wolf licked the grease from my fingers and curled up next to me, licking at its paw softly.


    "Don''t do that. You''ll tear the bandaging and I didn''t tie it all that well." The wolf kept licking and l sighed, letting it do what it wanted. We sat like that for a few more minutes, until I got bored and stood up. The wolf had fallen asleep, so I decided to look at the splinter. I picked up the eight-inch spike and frowned. It wasn''t wooden like I had thought, rather, it was made of bone or some kind of horn. It had an incredibly sharp point that drew blood when I poked it with my finger. I winced and held it up to the sun, gazing at the spike. The tip was black and transitioned into a brown for an inch or two, and white came last. I could use this as a weapon. A grin spread itself across my face. Excellent. I slid it into the waistband of my pants and looked around, spotting the gauze and anti-septic I had left on the ground. I walked over and picked them up, stashing them in the coin bag. The mouth of the bag widened to accept the bottle when I tried to store it, and I shook my head in bewilderment. I looked inside and could see the coins, the bottle, and the gauze, all in their own little compartments, with three open compartments left. I reached into the bag and pulled the bottle out with ease. Chuckling, I replaced the bottle and pulled the spike from my waistband. I slid it into the pouch and saw it take its own compartment.


    Looking around the clearing we were in, I saw the trail of blood again. On a whim, I followed it a little ways into the jungle and stopped when I came across the source about ten yards away. Another wolf, this one with a spike in its neck. Blood seeped into the ground around the body and I lowered my head, saying a silent prayer for the creature. I left it where it lay and returned to the wolf I could help. It was still where I had left it, sleeping soundly. I sat in the grass next to it, and waited.


    A little while later, when the sun had begun its decent, I stood and stretched my arms over my head, groaning as I dropped them. I looked down at the wolf who had woken and was looking up at me.


    "I don''t want to leave you like this," I said, "but I''ve no idea where I''m going." The wolf stood with some difficulty, gently trying its weight. It couldn''t put all of its weight on the foot, but far more than it had been able to before I helped it. The wolf looked up at me, a big smile on its canine face. I reached out and pet it on the head. "Alright. You can come." The wolf barked once, its bushy tail wagging and tongue lolling. I smiled down at the wolf.


    "Come on, let''s get going. I still need to find people. No way in hell am I gonna live out here like a hermit. The wolf barked once with so much force its front paws came clear off the earth. I frowned. "What?" Again, the same bark and paws off the ground. The wolf turned and started limping further into the jungle. It turned to look over its shoulder at me, making sure I was following.


    "What the fuck is going on?" I whispered, following the wolf back into the trees.

 Chapter 2: Departure

    The wolf led me further into the jungle and I struggled to keep up with it. It moved fast for being injured and I almost lost it, but I found it by the body of the other wolf. It licked the wolf''s head and howled at the sky, a lonesome and sad sound.


    "Do you have a broken heart too?" I asked the wolf, kneeling next to it. It howled again, the painful sound drawing my own tears. I saw Jen the day I proposed to her, her smile when she said yes. It was all lies.


    I don''t know how long the wolf and I mourned. It couldn''t have been more than an hour because the sun hadn''t moved much when we started walking again. We were loosely following the river downstream and I took comfort in its bubbling. It twisted and turned at irregular intervals, winding through the thick jungle. We had been walking for about thirty or so minutes now, and I was getting bored. My senses were fried from being on high alert for the last few hours and I needed a break. I glanced down at the wolf limping beside me. Its coat was dark and blended expertly with the dark undergrowth and it padded along on quiet feet, though it still hesitated to put weight on its left. A beam of sunlight hit the wolf''s flank and my eyes widened. Its fur was actually a midnight blue rather than black.


    "You need a name." I said aloud, hand on my chin. The wolf looked up at me with bright azure eyes that seemed to tell me it agreed. I frowned, looking closer at it. I was pretty sure it was a wolf, but it seemed way smarter and better behaved than the canines I was used to. And bigger, too. We had a few hunting dogs and even they didn''t stick so close to my side when I was walking them. It seemed to be responding to what I was saying as well, like we were having a conversation.


    "Can you understand me?" I asked. The wolf nodded and barked once, a questioning look in its eye. I laughed in astonishment. "Well, how ''bout that? Are you a boy or a girl? I''m getting masculine vibes, but I could be wrong." The wolf growled at me, sticking its, her, nose in the air and walking in front of me. She lifted her tail and sure enough, there was the female organ. I smiled.


    "I got ya. A girl, then." She barked once, continuing to walk. Her paw buckled and she growled, forcing herself to keep walking. It was the second time it had happened in the last fifteen minutes. "Girl." I said, stopping. "We can stop if you need to." She shot me a look that told me if I suggested something like that again, it wouldn''t end pretty for me. I held up my hands in defeat. The sounds of the birds returned, though a little more distant than they had been previously, and I let my thoughts roam, trying to find a good name for her. She had blue eyes and was strong as hell, unwilling to quit even when she could barely walk. She reminded me of that old poster with the lady saying ''We can do it!''. Rosie, I think her name was. I smiled down at the wolf.


    "How do you like the name Rosie?" She cocked her head to the side, then barked once. It seemed like she agreed. My smile grew. "Good. I''m glad you like it, Rosie. I''m Marshall."


    Rosie barked, looking back at me with intelligent eyes. I sighed, shook my head, and gestured for us to continue. "Let''s keep going. That sun is getting mighty high and I don''t know how to make a shelter." She barked once again, continuing her march. I walked by her side, my nerves not as on edge as earlier. Rosie seemed like a good wolf and she hadn''t attacked me yet, but it pays to be ready. I kept my head on swivel, looking for something, anything that would give a predator away. I had studied hunting habits of the terestial creatures in the Southeast last semester and had some basic knowledge, but not enough to ensure my survival. I could hold my own in a fight against a human and the spike in the satchel gave me comfort, but I doubted my abilities against a beast. I listened to the birds calling and the insects buzzing. The calls were strangely familiar, in the uncanny valley kind of way. Like there was a bird that would start and go about 90% of what I knew but would end differently. Small things like that, but we were safe for now. We walked for another three or four hours. Rosie kept pushing herself harder and harder, and it got to the point where I had to put my foot down. She''d been limping heavily for the last few minutes and was panting hard.


    "Rosie." I said in my Big Man voice. It echoed around me in a satisfying, frightening way. She froze and looked at me, a little bit of fear in her azure eyes. I knelt down next to her and rubbed her the top of her head and behind one of her ears. Her head was large and thick with muscle and her fangs flashed in the speckled light. Her jaw was larger and squarer than the canines I knew, too. Probably to give her a stronger, more deadly bite. She was adorable and panted happily as I pet her, tongue lolling out of her mouth. "We''ve got to stop, girl. You''re hurting yourself." She snarled and shook her head no.


    "Yes. I''m not going to let you get hurt again, ok?" She shook her head again and barked twice. It seemed like she was really insistent that we keep going. I nodded, giving in. "Fine. But I''m carrying you." She started to growl but I cut her off. "No arguing, missy. You can''t walk but clearly want to go somewhere, so I''ll carry you. Ok?" Rosie thought for a moment, or at least I thought she was thinking, and then she barked once. "Good girl."


    I bent and slid my arms under her chest and rear and lifted her into my arms with a ''hup!'' of effort. I damn near lost my feet, stumbling back. Rosie was incredibly light, like I was picking up a Chihuahua or a Pomeranian, not a four foot tall wolf. "What the hell?" I wondered aloud. "What else can this body do?"


    "Error." Robot Lady said. I groaned and rolled my eyes, ignoring the weird hallucination. Adjusting Rosie in my arms just slightly, I continued our walk. I was careful not to jostle her injured paw too much. Not long after I picked her up, the jungle ended and a large, grassy field began. Trees still cropped up every now and then but nowhere near as many as the jungle we had just exited. The sun hung in the sky above us, shinning brightly on the grassland. The grass was long, almost waist height, and a combination of green and yellow that was extremely pleasing to the eye. Rosie looked off to my left and barked once.


    "That way?" I asked. She nodded and barked again, giving me an ''Are you stupid?'' look. I laughed. "Alright, alright. We''re going." I may not know what''s going on or how I''m alive, but it is a beautiful day, and I''m going to enjoy it. I set off at an easy clip just shy of jogging, moving parallel to the jungle''s edge. I felt good. Strong. Like I could go for another hour or three at least, but I was careful. I knew how quick that exhaustion could sneak up on you. Still, though, my legs felt strong. Hell, my whole body felt strong. Ready. I flexed my muscles, delighting in the feeling, and a smile crept onto my face.


    The field started to change, slowly but surely. Wild, untamed grasses became interspersed with irregular fields as I walked. Eventually the wild grassland was replaced entirely by farmland, but farmland that seemed to have been abandoned. The crops were starting to spread out of their rows, more than any farmer would normally allow. I''d just started to wonder why the fields were so overgrown when I got my answer. A black shape rose out of the grass and crops, dark and ominous, and my heart sank when we got close. The house had been burned and only the bones remained, and the scent of ash was carried on the wind. What happened here? Rosie whimpered in my arms, drawing me from my thoughts. I shook my head, coming back to my senses.


    "You''re right. There''s nothing we can do for them now. Let''s keep going." We walked around to the front of the house and my mouth fell open. I whirled around and shut my eyes, praying that what I saw wasn''t real. I peeked over my shoulder, and gagged. I dropped Rosie quite roughly, running away a few feet and vomiting. It was real. A family, presumably the family whose house was burned behind them, hung impaled on spikes in the front yard. There were five of them; Father, Mother, and three children. Tears welled in my eyes and I let them fall for the unknown people. They had been there quite a while, it seemed. The crows had done their work. What few meat and cloth remained was blackened and burned, like the bodies had been burned at a low temperature to extend their pain. Their flesh looked exactly like mine had when I held Jen''s hand. I stared at the family, wanting to look away but unable to, seeing them and Jen. Rosie whimpered again and shifted, licking my cheek. I sat back on my heels, tears leaking from my eyes. Rosie tried to lick them up and I laughed messily, tangling my hands in her soft fur.


    "Gah, come on, Rosie! Your breath stinks." She barked and licked me again, then started to walk South. I followed, scooping her up in my arms and putting the atrocity behind me. Not even a day has passed, and I''ve saved a creature and come across a war crime. Let''s focus on the positive. My forced positivity met another wall when we came across the second farm in the same state as the first. One less person out front but otherwise just the same. We didn''t stop this time, just a silent acknowledgement. Rosie barked and nudged me towards the sun a bit, changing my direction. I squeezed her a little bit closer, grateful she was with me. I don''t know how I''d have handled coming across that on my own. Not my first body, but my first child. And me. I couldn''t get the sight of my charred, blackened hand holding Jen''s snowy one out of my mind. The contrast was too much for me.


    The sun was off to my right as we walked, setting slowly. I felt the ground under me begin to rise just slightly, and when we crested the small hill, we looked down on a little village. It was quaint, with probably twenty or thirty lit chimneys and a wooden fence surrounding it, but my eyes were drawn to the horizon. There, maybe half a mile from the far edge of the village, lay the ocean.


    I gasped and stared in wonder at the stars glittering in the water. I''d never seen the ocean before and was stunned into silence. It was beautiful. The sun set over the water and cast everything in a burning orange, even the small strip of pearly white sand. The fires burned and swirled together, becoming a mix of beauty. I breathed deep of the salty sea air, and my heart soared. It was new and exciting and I couldn''t wait to go fishing. It was one of my favorite ways to relax, and that ocean looked magnificent. The river ran off to the left of us, winding here and there before skirting past the village, widening at the mouth, and dumping into the ocean.


    My attention was ripped from the vista when Rosie growled, low and soft. Not at me, but at the fields behind us. I turned, and my eyes went wide. Multiple sets of golden eyes reflected in the setting sun, looking out at us from the grass. A deep sense of dread began to settle about me. Those eyes looked hungry. I could have sworn I heard a growl come from a few of them but that could have just been Rosie. Those eyes must have been why she was so insistent on getting out of the jungle. Were they following us? I walked backwards down the hill, keeping the eyes in my sight. They didn''t leave the grass, but they watched us the entire time. At least two more sets appeared while I was retreating. None of us blinked until the eyes disappeared out of view. I turned and sprinted towards the safety of the village. Rosie whimpered in my arms and I adjusted her as best I could.


    "I''m sorry, girl." I said, keeping my eyes on the wall. "We''re almost there. Just a little more." I cast a glance over my shoulder and my eyes shot open. A dozen or so creatures were chasing me and slowly gaining. They had an oblong body the size of a man and ran on two feet. And my gods those feet were terrifying. They had this massive claw on either foot and it looked cruel and sharp, ready to tear flesh from bone. A sinewy neck extended from the feathered body and a terrible, vicious looking head sat atop it. The beak looked almost as long as my arm and flames sparked from the corners. It curved downwards, looking like another claw on its face. A long, feathered tail bounced behind the creatures, helping to keep their balance as they raced towards us. Each one seemed to have a different coloration or pattern to their feathers but they all seemed hand crafted to blend into the green-yellow of the grasslands. Their eyes shone a menacing, haunting gold. They honestly looked like headlights from the cars back home but a little less bright. It didn''t stop the horror from welling up within my soul, however. They looked prehistoric and violent, the perfect killing machines.


    There''s nothing like being chased by a pack of hungry raptors to put a pep in your step. I tore towards the village, feet pounding against the earth and Rosie whimpering in my arms. I would not let her die, not after all of this. I heard what I hesitate to call a ''bark'', but lack the words for what else it could have been. A sharp, quick sound came from one of the creatures chasing me and three peeled off from the group, picking up speed and trying to cut me off. I growled and leaned into the run, praying that my new body would hold out. We were five hundred yards from the wall and my heart dropped. A gate was falling, and far faster than I would have liked.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "WAIT!" I screamed, running as hard as I could. "WAAAAIT!!!" Of course, they didn''t wait. If anything, the gate started closing faster. I snarled and put on an extra burst of speed. I could have sworn that the creatures laughed when the gate slammed home, closing me off from safety. I didn''t stop. I needed to get Rosie behind those walls. A laughing bird running on two feet pulled up next to me, glaring at me with hungry eyes and Rosie barked. It jumped away in surprise only to be replaced by another one with green feathers. My heart picked up speed and Rosie''s growl deepened. Twenty yards, now.


    Time slowed for a moment as my brain tried to figure a way out of this. Nothing came, of course. Just the same old thought of ''Haven''t heard a whistle. Keep pushing.''. My brain told me that I couldn''t do anything, that the gate was closed and my fate sealed. My body said otherwise.


    Ten yards from the wall, I planted my feet and leapt, sailing through the air. I closed my eyes, expecting to crash into the gate, but no pain came. At least, not at first. A sharp, stinging pain came in my left foot a second or two later, followed by the rest of my body. I rolled, trying to keep Rosie safe. There was a whine and a whimper then an ''oof!'' from me when we hit something hard back first, but no other sounds of pain. The real agony came when my head smashed into the something hard, and everything went white. I couldn''t see anything and I felt my body shake and spasm. I gasped, but no air came. Panic seized my mind as my lungs struggled to inflate. Something was blocking my throat. I was dying. Again.


    A strange, painful sensation began to form in my core. It grew hot and moved up my chest and into my throat. It burned and I screamed, but no sound came out. The fireball moved further up my neck and settled right in the middle. The heat intensified, growing so hot that tears fell from my eyes. I felt like I was back in the fire, but without the whiskey and adrenaline to numb the pain. The image of the burned children flashed in my mind and sorrow filled my heart. The heat in my neck grew worse, drawing another scream. It echoed in my head, driving a spike of white hot agony even further into me. I groaned, and the heat finally began to lessen. Residual heat still pulsed in my neck, and I touched it gingerly. Warmth burned my fingers, but in a surprisingly pleasant way, like a shower that''s just a tad too hot. The overload of sensations was breaking my brain. The pain in my head/neck and the pleasure in my hand waged a war in my head, and I was the loser. It was too much. Breathing started to get easier right as I was about to wish for it to stop and I sighed, relishing in the sweet, cool air. It soothed the burning a little and I took a moment to enjoy it. Something cool ran across my face and I shifted, making a noise of disgust. I moved a hand and brushed a soft fur coat. Rosie. I opened my eyes slowly, ignoring the stars and sparks in my vision, and found myself lying against one of the houses, Rosie standing over me.


    "Are you ok?" I asked, my voice hoarse. It was rough and scratchy and my throat was extremely dry. The wolf nodded and barked once, struggling to her feet and tail whipping back and forth. She licked my face rapidly, covering me with slobber. "Rosie! That''s gross!" I laughed. It turned into a groan-cough as another spike of pain shot through my head. "How''s your paw?" She placed it on the ground and stood under her own power. "Nice." I stood as well, with only some slight pain in my foot. My head swam and a wave of nausea came over me, but I fought it down. Looking around, I started to realize just what sort of village this place was. There was an off-putting odor that I couldn''t quite place but was definitely familiar that landed on my tongue in waves. I had to force myself not to gag as I assessed my surroundings.


    The roads were made of dirt, and not great dirt at that. They seemed dusty and poorly maintained, with weeds and grasses growing in the middle. The building that had served as my crash-pad had a hole in it, but not from me. There was a hole in the side of the wall that allowed me to see into the building where I found a family of four apparently having supper. The father had a spoon halfway raised to his lips, and he and I made direct eye contact. I smiled at him. He did not smile back. My attention was once again torn from my surroundings by Rosie''s growl. She had her hackles raised and was growling at the figures approaching us from the wall I had jumped. I ran my hand through her fur and she calmed slightly, I think. She wasn''t growling as loudly, at least. I took a step away from the house and folded, my left ankle giving out. Rosie blurred, moving far faster than any creature should have the right to, and caught me before I could hit the ground. I grunted and regained my balance, limping away from the house with her help. The setting sun was warm on my face and I smiled, tilting my head back and taking in the rays. I tried to gather my thoughts, but this old guy walked out in front of the others, leaning heavily on a cane. It looked like it took a lot of energy for him to move and even more to speak. His voice was rusty and old when he did talk.


    "Who are you, boy?" he asked. A few of the others around him took a step towards me, brandishing spears and swords. I held up my free hand in surrender.


    "Whoa, there, gents." I said, chuckling slightly and readjusting my hold on Rosie''s back. "No need for weapons."


    "You''ve invaded our village." the old man snapped, eyes alight with a rage I hadn''t expected. "You brought the Terrors to our gate! You brought a Cave Wolf into our home! You''ve killed us all!" The man''s temper flared my own and my eyes narrowed.


    "Hey, you''re the assholes who closed the gate on me." I shot back. Some of the men gasped and stared at me, the old man most of all. Rosie snarled.


    "You dare talk back to me, boy?!" he roared.


    "I am not talking back." I replied cooly and calmly, running my hand through Rosie''s fur. That seemed to piss him off even more. He gasped and pointed at me, ready to launch into a long-winded lecture when someone pushed their way through the crowd of guards.


    "Grandfather!" a high voice cried. The voice turned out to belong to a girl. The most beautiful girl I had ever seen, even more so than Jen. If Jen had been a ten, this girl was a twenty. She had long, mud-red hair that caught the last vestiges of sunlight perfectly, turning her hair into a fiery halo. She was small and thin, concerningly so, no more than five foot four and a buck seventy soaking wet. Her tan, sun-kissed skin shone in the setting sun like melted caramel, and she wore a gorgeous, intricate silver necklace. She whipped her head back towards the old man, breaking our stare. "Stop it! Can''t you see he''s hurt?" I grunted and straightened, fighting down the pain and the sickly sweet scent in my nose. I held onto Rosie tightly, balling my fist in her fur. She growled just slightly but let me hold on to her anyway.


    "It''s just a sprain." I said, waving my hand. "It''s not that bad." The girl shot me a vicious ''Try me if you dare'' look, and I backed off. Rosie growled, her lips curling down and baring her teeth as the girl approached us. I stroked her back gently and whispered: "It''s alright, Rosie." I turned back towards the old man as the girl looked at my ankle.


    "Bah, of course you''d care for him, Vartin." He spat the word like a slur and the girl flinched, but continued nonetheless. She started glowing a soft gold color and she held her hands to my ankle. Is she using magic? My mouth fell open and I watched her in fascination. The girl''s emerald eyes flicked up to mine, and I could have sworn sparks rose from her cheeks when our eyes met. "You bring danger to our doorstep!" the old man was saying, having continued his rant. "We should kill you where you stand!"


    "Stand down, Grandfather!" a commanding voice shouted. "The Terrors are gone." A large, strong looking man wearing a green feathered skirt and blue headdress pushed his way through the crowd, and the men lowered their spears. He had a jade piercing through the middle of his curved nose and his green eyes were fierce, yet kind. "Can you blame him for trying to survive?"


    "I can blame him for bringing that thing!" the old man jabbed his cane at Rosie. She snarled in objection.


    "You take that back! She has a name." Headdress narrowed his eyes and cocked his head.


    "Really? She has a name?"


    "Yeah. Rosie." Rosie looked up at me at the sound of her name, azure eyes smiling in the dusk. I smiled down at her. "She''s a good girl."


    "Hmmm." He crossed his arms over his bare, bronze chest and gave me an assessing look. "What''s your name, boy?"


    "Marshall."


    "Marshall. I am the Chief of Rivera, Kiltont. It is nice to meet you." The Chief gave me a small bow, really more of a nod of the head. "May I ask why you have come here?"


    "I was trying to escape those creatures. What the hell are they? Where is here?"


    "This is the town of Rivera and we call the creature Terrors. They are fierce predators, faster than men, and very rarely let their prey escape. How did you, while carrying a Cave Wolf of all creatures, leap a fifteen foot wall while outrunning them?" His jade eyes locked onto mine, intense and focused. I didn''t see any malice in them, but they held the promise of violence should he deem my answer unsatisfactory. I decided on truth being the best choice. As Grandpa always said, Honesty is the best policy. I straightened and let go of Rosie, standing on my own and looking the Chief in the eye.


    "I have no idea." I said, standing tall. He may not believe me, but it''s the truth. The Chief snorted a laugh, a smile playing at his lips.


    "You don''t know."


    "Honestly. I should be dead. I broke my neck on that house, dude." I said, gesturing towards the place I had landed. There was a dark, bloody stain from my crash. Confusion crossed my face. "How did I survive that?" My hand rose to my neck and I winced. Rosie whimpered and licked my other hand; I pet her in return.


    "And the wolf?" I shrugged.


    "I found her in the jungle. She had this huge splinter in her paw and it looked really bad. I couldn''t just leave her there, so I removed the splinter and bandaged the wound. She''s been following me ever since." The girl who had been healing my ankle let go, looking up at me with those bright emerald eyes. They shone in the slight darkness and she quickly looked away. "would you take a look at her paw, please, Miss?" The girl nodded, reaching out for Rosie''s paw much like I had. The wolf growled a little but allowed the girl to unwrap her paw. She gasped and I knelt, gasping as well. The wound had healed entirely; not even a scratch remained. I ran my hand over the spot where, a few hours earlier, there had been a huge gash in the paw.


    "That''s incredible." I whispered. "It''s healed. Can you walk?" Rosie barked and hopped around, panting excitedly. I scoffed and blinked, stunned, rubbing her ears and head. "Glad you''re feeling better."


    "You have tamed a Cave Wolf, outran a pack of Terrors, and survived a horrible fall." Kiltont said in an analyzing tone. "And you have no idea how you''ve done these things. Is this correct?" I nodded.


    "Yes, sir." The Chief narrowed his eyes once more, looking me up and down, then at Rosie. He was quiet for a while, then said:


    "Well, Marshall, you seem like a good person. Or at least not an actively bad one. You may stay the night, though you must leave in the morning. You may rest in my house. Come. Vartin, return to the house and assist Marin. " He turned and started walking without waiting for a response. I cast one last glance at the girl, who was kneeling next to Rosie and looking at the ground, hands in her lap.


    "Thank you, miss." I whispered. Her wonderful emerald eyes locked onto mine, though she said nothing, just nodded, before standing and running off into the village. "Come on, Rosie." I said, following after the Chief. The wolf chased after me, bounding along side and sniffing at the air, leaving the girl behind. I cast a glance over my shoulder at her. She really was beautiful. Her small form was illuminated by the rising moon and I struggled to tear my eyes from her.


    "Why do I need to leave? I can''t take a day or two to get my bearings?" The Chief shook his head, continuing to walk further into the village. The soldiers fell in behind him, keeping a wary eye on Rosie. They didn''t level their weapons, but the suspicion was felt.


    "No. If the Lord were to discover you," he shuddered. "I don''t want to think about it. For your own safety, you must leave."


    "I have nowhere to go!" I practically shouted. The stress of the day was beginning to take its toll and my emotions started to fray. I took a deep breath and reentered myself. "Chief. I can understand your position. I wouldn''t believe me either, honestly. But the truth is the truth. I was ready to accept death at the gates, but my body jumped. I have no idea what is going on."


    "I believe you, Marshall. That is why I am taking you to my house. Marin should be done with supper soon. A hot meal should do you some good."


    "Thank you, sir. I appreciate the hospitality, and please, forgive my rudeness. It has been a long day." The Chief chuckled.


    "it is fine, Marshall. We all have those days." We were silent for the rest of the walk. The buildings got nicer as we walked. Well, not nicer so much as less bad. They were still pretty shoddy compared to my old dorm room, but I could tell that this was the wealthy side of town. More than once I caught sight of someone watching me from the windows, but they would always duck away before I could get a good look at them. After five or so minutes of walking, the Chief stopped in front of a two-story house. It was clearly the nicest one in the village, with an actual porch and a lit candle in almost every window. The Chief nodded to the soldiers behind me.


    "Thank you, gentlemen. I can handle it from here."


    "But, sir..." one of the soldier''s said. "The wolf... What if it goes berserk?"


    "She won''t go berserk." I said, answering the man''s question. "She''s a good girl." Rosie barked in agreement. "See?"


    "Do not worry, Adotil. I have it under control." The Chief said, glaring at the man.


    "Yes... yes, sir." The soldiers departed without another word and I watched them go. They took their time, slowly walking down the street and back to their lives.


    "Now then," the Chief said with forced enthusiasm when the soldiers had disappeared from view. He mounted the porch steps and opened the door, gesturing for me to enter. "shall we?"

 Chapter 3: Decision

    The inside of the Chief''s house was fancy. At least, fancy for what I had seen. It was still pretty bland and spare, but the wooden floors were clean and shone with a relatively new coat of lacquer. I took in everything; the old furniture, the fraying rugs, the ring stained coffee table, and I was overwhelmed by feelings of home and love.


    "Excuse me, Chief?" I called out, pushing the feelings of love and familiarity from my mind. "May Rosie come in?" The wolf had been patiently waiting on the porch, tail wagging.


    "Of course she may." Kiltont responded. "I will see if Marin has any steak for her."


    "Thank you, but I can handle her food."


    "You can?" he asked as we entered the kitchen.


    "Yes." I said, following after him, and my mouth fell open. The person in the kitchen was a bird, but a person. She had feathers instead of hair and wings instead of arms. Her hands were still hands and they chopped carrots with surprising accuracy. When she looked up at us, her bright orange eyes went wide with shock. She squawked and whirled away from me, hiding her face. There was a poof of feathers, and a normal human woman turned back to face me.


    "Dear husband," she asked with barely contained anger. "why didn''t you warn me we were having company?"


    "It was a last minute decision, love." Kiltont said, walking up to his wife and giving her a hug. "Will you forgive me?" They continued their conversation in hushed tones and I stood there awkwardly. Finally, the two separated and looked back at me. "Marshall, this is my wife, Marin. Marin, Marshall."


    "It''s nice to meet you, ma''am." I said, holding out my hand for her to shake. She looked at it questioningly and I retracted it. "Thank you for having us." Marin''s brow furrowed.


    "Us?" she asked, confused. Just then, Rosie walked into the kitchen, sniffing at the air. Marin squee''d and I swore her amber eyes turned into hearts. She raced forward and knelt in front of Rosie, holding her hand out for he wolf to sniff.


    "You''re so pretty!" Marin gasped as Rosie licked her hand. She laughed and pet the wolf gently. "And smooth, too! I''ve never seen a dog like you." Rosie sat and held her head high, leaning into the woman''s pets. She growled half-heartedly, her eyes closed and a smile on her face.


    "Love, Lady Rosie here is a Cave Wolf, not a dog." Marin''s hand froze, and she turned her head slowly to look at her husband.


    "I''m sorry, I thought you just said Cave Wolf." she said. Her face retained its joyous smile, though her voice was shot through with fear.


    "I did. Rosie is a Cave Wolf through and through. Probably the same one that battled the Steban we found this morning, if Marshall is to be believed."


    "What''s a Steban?" I asked.


    "A large herbivore with plates extending from its back and two sets of spikes on its tail. It is powerful, but not very smart, with a small head compared to the size of its body." I frowned. Something about that sounded familiar. I could have sworn that I''ve seen a creature like that somewhere before.


    "Do you still have the body?" I asked. Kiltont tilted his head in confusion.


    "We do. It takes a while to process something that big."


    "May I see it in the morning?"


    "I don''t see why not." he replied. "Marin, your stew is burning." Marin swore and dashed for the stove, grabbing a ladle and stirring the pot. "Come, Marshall. Help me set the table." I nodded and followed the Chief into the dinning room. It was big, with a large wooden table in the middle and a small table to the side that held a few bottles of liquor, but that was it. It was nice, but basic.


    "Vartin, you''re needed!" I heard Marin call from the kitchen. The high, crisp sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed through the house followed by hissed words I couldn''t understand, and I shot Kiltont a concerned look. He paid the noises no mind, continuing to set the table, so I did as well. A few minutes later, we had three seats prepped and ready with spoons, napkins, and tea. Marin came around the corner, holding two bowls of steaming stew. Behind her came the red-head from earlier, the girl who healed my ankle. She was carrying two more bowls and a plate of bread balanced precariously on her arm. The bread plate wobbled, almost coming free, and she tried to right it but without her hands, it was a challenge to say the least. The plate slipped from her arm and I watched it fall, my vision zooming in again and sense of time slowing down a tad. Without thinking, I stepped forward quickly and caught the plate, saving the round loaf from hitting the wooden floor.


    "I''ve got ya." I said, smiling down at Vartin. She stammered, her mouth flapping, but no sound coming out. I set the bread on the table and took my seat as Kiltont and Marin did the same. Vartin placed a bowl before me and one before Kiltont, and Marin put one on the ground next to me and one in front of her own seat. I frowned, confused as to why she put one on the floor.


    "Ms. Marin, why''d you put a bowl on the floor?" I asked as politely as I could. These people were strange, but seemed kind and I didn''t want to offend them. "It seems a little mean to make Vartin sit on the floor."


    "It''s for the pretty Lady." Marin responded, staring at Rosie with pure love and sighing deeply. "Vartin don''t eat with their betters." She picked up her spoon, beginning to eat and Kiltont followed suit. Rosie looked up at me, waiting for permission. I, however, was dumbstruck by the blatant abuse I had just witnessed. How could Marin, who gave me the impression of being a kind, loving person, be so cruel to someone? I could see it from douchebag ''Grandfather'', but her? I shot a look at Vartin, who was standing between the dining room and the kitchen, staring at the floor and hands clasped together in front of her waist. She looked like she was waiting for orders.


    "Marshall?" Kiltont asked.


    "Hmm?" I whipped my head back to face the man. "What''d you say?"


    "Are you not hungry?" He gestured with his spoon at my stew, which sat untouched and still steaming slightly. I smiled awkwardly and picked up my spoon, taking a bite of the stew. It was terrific. The deep, hearty flavor of beef filled my mouth followed by the punch of an onion. The meat was a little bit more game-y than beef, but it fell apart in my mouth and didn''t detract from the meal. The carrots offered a slight resistance and even more flavor from the broth which held a hint of pepper and herbs, and far too soon the stew was gone. I looked up at Marin, a huge smile on my face.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "That was amazing." I sighed. Rosie barked her agreement and the woman smiled.


    "Thank you. I made it with the chuck from the Steban you were talking about earlier." Wood rattled against wood as Rosie licked her bowl clean and I chuckled.


    "May we have seconds, Mrs. Marin?" I asked. She nodded.


    "Of course. Eat your fill, both of you." I smiled at her.


    "Thank you. You are too kind." I stood and picked up the two bowls, turning back towards the kitchen. Vartin still stood there, trying to make herself as small as possible.


    "Would you like some?" I asked as I passed her. Her sharp face and bright, emerald eyes snapped onto mine, boring into me and holding me in place. Now that I was looking, I could see a little red circle on the outside of her irises that pulsed in time with her heartbeat. The irises themselves were a deep emerald, almost forrest green but bright, shinning like a hidden star. The circle of fire around the forrest bleed into it at irregular intervals. She was gorgeous.


    "I''m alright." she whispered, dropping her eyes from mine.


    "Have you eaten yet?" I asked, continuing to the stove and ladling some more soup into the two bowls. Vartin shook her head no. "You gotta eat, sister. Keep your strength up."


    "You would feed a Vartin?" Marin asked, disgust in her voice. A Vartin? Is Vartin not her name?


    "She''s a human." I snapped, turning a dark look on the lady. "So, yes, I would. I''d do the same for you." I said, turning back towards the girl. "Is Vartin your name?"


    "What?" she asked, confused. She looked around uncertainly, probably wondering why I was speaking to her.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Lia." I smiled and handed Lia a full bowl of soup.


    "Here, Lia. You can have my share. I''m full as it is." The small woman, she didn''t even come up to my pecs, took the bowl from me gently, like she was afraid it would burn her. Lia glanced up at me then over at Marin who shook her head violently. She handed the bowl back to me.


    "Thank you, sir, but I am not allowed to eat. Mistress has forbidden it." I fought to keep the scowl from my face, accepting the bowl back.


    "As you wish." I said with a slight nod and returned to the table, setting Rosie''s bowl before her. She panted happily and dug into the stew with gusto as I sat back down, my mood ruined. I looked around, trying to find a window and see the ocean, but found nothing. We finished the meal in silence, Lia standing between the kitchen and dining room the whole time. I''d occasionally catch her leaning closer towards me, but not enough for concern. After we had finished eating and Lia cleared the table, (I''d offered to help but both women shut me down), Kiltont pulled me aside.


    "May I speak with you? Alone?" he asked.


    "Suuure." I replied hesitantly. "What''s up?" Kiltont handed me a mug of amber liquid with white foam and gestured for me to follow him. I smiled. Some things never change. Rosie lifted her head as we walked by, but I held out my hand. "Stay, Rosie." She whined, but didn''t move from her spot in front of the fire place. "Good girl." Kiltont scoffed, shaking his head as I slipped by him and out the front door.


    "I am amazed that she listens to you." he said, leaning against the railing. I followed suit. The sun had set, but the night air still held its warmth.


    "She''s always been that way, as far as I know. I just met her this morning." Kiltont choked on his drink. He coughed and spluttered a bit, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth.


    "You''re kidding? This morning?"


    "Yes. I found her by the river when I stopped for water. She was injured, so I approached slowly and found this huge spike sticking out of her paw." I reached into the pouch and pulled out the spike, holding it up for Kiltont to see. He took it from me gently, like even touching it would hurt him. I guess it would. I mean, it hurt me when I touched it. "I bandaged her wound then gave her some steak, and we rested for a minute. Then we got up, and we could talk. Well, not talk, but we can communicate." Kiltont laughed aloud, taking another sip of his drink and handing me back the spike. I returned it to the pouch.


    "Of course you did. You make it sound so simple. If any one of us had tried what you did, ''Rosie'' would have slaughtered us without a second thought. The Terrors you outran should have killed you twice over before you even made it to the walls. That crash broke your neck, and yet you were up walking and talking in just a few minutes." I went silent, staring out over the strange city. The Chief''s house was on a slight rise and over looked the rest of the village. Smoke rose from most of the chimneys and lamps were ignited, illuminating the front of the houses. I could hear the sounds of joy and revelry coming from somewhere out in the night and I looked at the amber fluid in the wooden mug. An image of me drinking with my brothers flashed in my mind, and tears welled. I took a sip of the drink and furrowed my brow in disgust, the thoughts of home rudely thrust from my mind.


    "Ugh, that''s awful." Kiltont laughed again, loud and boisterous.


    "You''ll grow to love it." he said. We were silent for a moment, just enjoying the drink and the night, when Kiltont took a breath, then a sip of his beer. I did as well, and found that the taste really wasn''t that bad. It was still bitter and warm, but not awful. "If I were to sell you some land outside the city, would you consider staying?" Kiltont said out of the blue. I cocked my head to the side in confusion.


    "Didn''t you say I had to leave in the morning?"


    "You don''t need to answer tonight. Rest on it, and give me your answer in the morning. Regardless, that is not what I wished to speak of. The Lord of this province, Andesis, is Lord Parvo Mortil. He is a greedy, selfish, entitled, scummy piece of shit, and there is nothing I can do about it. He skims from the city''s earnings, calling it a ''hospitality tax''. He lets only the worst of the trade goods reach us and refuses to listen to reason. He adamantly refuses to send more guards and still hasn''t handled the bandit problem." Kiltont drained his mug and slammed it on the railing. "I need your help, Marshall. I cannot protect this city on my own, and the guards are useless against anything but the lowest beasts. We have lost too many people already and are loosing more by the day. Parvo hasn''t sent any Hunters and we are going to die if I don''t do something. Please, help me." Kiltont ran out of steam at the end, and when he looked at me, all I saw was a tired, beaten man. For a split second, he showed his age. Dark shadows circled his eyes and deep lines drew themselves on his forehead, holding the weight of the world. I sighed and set my drink on the railing, turning towards him.


    "Chief Kiltont, can I trust you?" I asked, staring him in the eyes. He gazed back and nodded firmly.


    "Of course. Whatever you say to me now, I will tell no one else. I swear on my mother''s grave."


    "Good, good." I nodded, picked up my drink and drained it, and took a deep breath. "I have no idea what is going on. My body can do things no human should be able to do, my wolf is smarter than some people I''ve met, and your wife is a fucking racist bird person. You own slaves?! What the fuck, bro? I''m not entirely convinced this ain''t my dying brain playing tricks on me. And now you''re asking for my help? Brother, I can barely keep myself alive."


    "And that is why I am offering for you to stay here. You''ve just recently Awoken, yes?"


    "What''s that?"


    "You have the Spark, Marshall. Close your eyes for me. Look within and find your Spark."


    "That''s stupid, I''m not..."


    "Just humor me. Please." I sighed and closed my eyes, searching for my ''Spark''. "Do you feel it? An energy circling within you, interacting with the world around you." I searched for the warmth that gave me the gauze and found it with ease. The core of my body pulsed faintly, tiredly.


    "It feels... warm, comforting, but small. Tired."


    "Good, you''re on the right track. That warmth is your Spark. It''s what makes you a Hunter. Not all Hunter''s have the Spark, but all Sparks are Hunters." I let the warmth go and opened my eyes. Kiltont was grinning at me. "You''re a natural." The Chief stretched, groaning as his muscles shook. He shivered slightly and feathers grew from his skin. His face sprouted a beak and his jade eyes sunk, becoming bird-like. I stood there, mouth open in shock and eyes wide. Kiltont chuckled and placed a feathered hand on my shoulder as he walked by.


    "Get some sleep, Marshall. You used a lot of energy saving your life today, and what a fine scar it gave you. We start bright and early tomorrow morning." With that, he went inside, leaving me alone on the porch. I sighed and turned back to the village. The moon shone down on an unfamiliar world and unfamiliar, terrifying sounds came from outside the walls. Rosie padded outside the house and came up next to me, whining softly. I pet her head and stared at the strange moon, wondering what the hell I was going to do next.

 Chapter 4: New Beginings

    I woke the next morning in pain. I hadn''t slept well, not because of the mattress, though the rough straw it was made of didn''t help, but because I never sleep well the first night in a new place. I was also haunted by the family I''d seen yesterday, their blackened smiles waiting for me within the shadows. The first inklings of sunlight filtered in through a small window and a rooster was screaming its head off, interrupting my unsuccessful attempt at sleep. I groaned, rolling over and throwing my arm over Rosie''s warm body and pulling her close, joints popping. I hadn''t felt this bad since I woke up with my head in a trash can after a party. My own trash can, mind you, but still, a trash can. The whole frat was fucked up the next day, not just me, thankfully. We found one guy in a tree in the Grove.


    "Not yet." I grumbled into Rosie''s soft, warm fur. I closed my eyes and slipped back into sleep, only for them to shoot open at the smell of food. I sat up and looked at Rosie, who was looking at me with just as much intensity.


    "Breakfast." I said with a smile. She barked and stood, hopping down from the bed. The wolf stretched her back legs as I stood and stretched my arms over my head, groaning in pain. "Oh, big stretch." I sighed, grinning down at her. I went through the rest of the stretches Coach made us do before practice, loosening my body for the day''s work. Who knows what I would be doing today.


    In the bathroom located across the hall from the room I slept in as I was getting ready for the day, I damn near had a heart attack. When I flipped on the light switch, and walked by the mirror, the person who walked by wasn''t me. Well, it was, but it wasn''t. I had the same face, with high cheekbones and dark eyes and hair. Whatever brought me here even got the scar on my chin from falling off a bike right. What it didn''t get right was the rest of my body. I was still my same height but the man who looked back at me from the mirror was thick and muscled, not thick and blubbery like I had been. It was like all the fat had been shaved off and left me with just the muscle. I grinned and flexed, watching my muscles move under my tan skin. The real shock, however, was the new scar I seemed to have developed. Around my neck was a jagged, golden line. It was thin, no more than a centimeter wide, but it was a bright, shinning gold that pulsed slightly in time with my heartbeat. I reached up and touched it gently, feeling the raised, warm skin. Is this what Kiltont was talking about? Is this from last night? It has to be.


    Downstairs, Lia was working hard preparing our breakfast. She wore a classic maid''s uniform, a black blouse and skirt covered by a white apron. She didn''t have a bonnet covering her wonderful hair, but that was fine by me. She hummed some kind of tune, one that was strange, wild, and exotic. It was a mix of classical and eastern, with sideways, winding movements and strong, steady downbeats unlike anything I''d ever heard, and I was entranced. I came down the steps quietly, wanting to watch the strange, beautiful girl work, but it was hard to hide Rosie''s claws clicking on the wood. Lia turned at the sound and saw me, emeralds going wide and stopping her humming, and I stepped fully out into the soft golden light. Where is that light coming from? Getting distracted, I looked up at the ceiling and frowned. The lightbulbs weren''t lightbulbs, rather they were stones that emitted a soft light akin lightbulbs. I pointed at the stones.


    "What are those?" I asked Lia. She frowned at me over her shoulder, having returned to her work.


    "What are what?" she asked back. Her voice was melodious, high, and sweet like a songbird, yet held trace amounts of fear that I recognized. I heard it in my sister''s voice for fifteen years before she passed. I somehow kept the scowl from my face, thinking about the smack I heard last night.


    "The stones." My voice held none of the anger I felt boiling beneath the surface.


    "The Light Scales? They control the light." she said slowly, like I was an idiot.


    "Well, duh, but how? Electricity? Solar power? Waterwheels? How?"


    "They''re harvested from the Narcolinto, a monster with control over lighting through use of the Thunder Sack located in the throat. As a byproduct of this Sack, its scales constantly glow a soft gold color and can hold their charge for years at a time. By adding a little more magic, you can increase or decrease the light emitted." I absorbed all the knowledge she gave until she said the word ''magic''.


    "Hold up, magic? Magic is real?"


    "Of course magic is real. How else could the Prime Dragons grant the Spark?" She held up her hand and a ball of fire ignited in it before she extinguished it, looking around to make sure nobody saw. I blinked, unable to comprehend what she was saying or doing, for that fact. I had no idea what the fuck the Prime Dragons were, much less how she knew all this.


    "How do you know all this? Tell me more."


    "I was training to be a Hunter..." she trailed off, the silver choker around her neck glowing a faint purple. She winced, her small brow furrowing into a thin line over her emeralds and she stopped talking, picking up the knife and slicing the bread again. I frowned and approached her, concern on my face.


    "Hey, are you alright?" I asked. "What was that glowing?"


    "I can''t talk about it." she said. Her voice was tight with pain and soft, barely a whisper. The choker was still glowing purple, a little brighter now.


    "Okay. Is there a place for me to wash my hands around here?" I asked, changing the subject, and Lia sighed in relief. She pointed to a basin with a piece of metal sticking out of the top. Two smaller metal bits sat next to the taller pipe, one blue and one red. "Holy shit, that''s a sink."


    "You''re weird." Lia said, giving me a sidelong glance. I chuckled, going over to the sink and twisting the blue tap. Nothing happened. I stood there awkwardly, twisting it again. Again, nothing. "Tap it." I heard from behind me. I did so and smiled as a cool, fresh stream of water came out of the faucet.


    "How ''bout that." I mumbled, running my hands under the water. "Soap?"


    "To your right." Sure enough, a bar of soap sat on a wooden plate next to the basin.


    "Thank you." I dried my hands on the towel next to the sink and turned back around when something struck me. Literally. Rosie whacked me with her tail and growled indignantly. She pointed at the door perfectly, front right paw raised and tail straight out. I slapped my head and opened the door for her, allowing the wolf into the small, fenced back yard. I frowned. Why did this place look so much like home, yet so different? Where the hell am I? I left the door cracked for her.


    Lia refused my help again, stating that ''it''s not proper for a guest to help with the food''. I argued, saying that I wanted to help and find cooking fun, to which she once again called me weird. I eventually got around it by making myself breakfast while she made theirs. We continued talking, with her telling me about the place I now found myself in.


    "This is the city of Rivera. It is, in essence, a prison. Except for Owner and Mistress, everyone is a criminal." Her face fell into one of sadness and despair and she added quietly: "Including me." I almost didn''t hear her, having been verbally flash-banged in less than a second.


    "''Owner''? Criminal? You?"


    "This place is so remote and dangerous that it isn''t worth the risk to run supplies out here. The King built a new camp in the North, one that was a little easier to manage, though just as dangerous. Or so I''ve heard. I haven''t gotten any news in six years."


    "This is a death camp?" Lia shook her head no.


    "Not technically. It is a prison surrounded by violent wildlife in an area unpatrolled by the Hunter''s Guild. If the prisoner dies in transit or to a monster..." she trailed off, letting me fill in the blanks.


    "None of you matter."


    "Not in the Kingdom''s eyes, no."


    "Nor should they." a new voice one, one dripping with malice and venom. Marin stood in the doorway, arms crossed over her feathered chest. "This one in particular. This Vartin is worth nothing, contributes nothing, is nothing. The only good thing it ever did was slaughter those pathetic excuses for Hunters. The Freyolin''s were human trash, just as their daughter was." Marin was staring directly at Lia, her beak curled up in an evil, gloating smile. Lia stood stock still, shoulders tight and body taught. I could see her muscles clenching under her caramel skin, shaking in barely controlled anger and tightening around the knife in her hand. The silver choker around her neck started glowing brighter and brighter as Marin talked. "I suppose it doesn''t matter now. The Freyolin name is dead, and it is never coming back. The girl died en route to Rivera, tragically eaten by a Tyrib. A fitting end, no?" Lia yelled, whirling on Marin and slashing at her with the knife. There was a bright purple flash and a heart wrenching scream, then the clatter of the knife on the ground. Marin stood over a sobbing, writhing Lia. She clawed at her throat frantically, drawing blood that gushed out with her cries.


    "Stop!" I cried, racing forward and grabbing Marin. "Enough! Call it off!" The bird woman glowered at me, her amber eyes full of contempt and judgement. She made a noise of disgust and turned, stalking back into the depths of the house. I knelt beside the sobbing Lia, laying my hand gently on her shoulder. She jerked, pulling back and skittering away from me. She curled into the corner, making herself as small as she could. I moved closer and reached out for her, but again, she flinched away from me, making noises of distress. I sighed and stood, moving to the door and opening it. Rosie was sniffing around the back of the yard, digging at the back right corner of the fence.


    "Rosie!" I called. The wolf''s head snapped up and she bounded towards me, tongue flopping wildly. "Good girl." The wolf walked by me and into the house, making a bee-line for the crying girl. Sniffing her gently, the wolf licked her hand. Lia started, but let the wolf continue to lick her. Good. I turned back to the counter and resumed making breakfast, every nerve on alert. Rosie sat next to the sobbing girl, hard, icy eyes staring out at the world.


    Thirty minutes later, the three of us were having a wonderful breakfast of eggs, bacon, and yesterday''s bread, made by yours truly. I poured boiling water over three cups of tea and placed a bowl of water and a plate of food in front of Rosie who was still comforting Lia in the kitchen. I gave Lia some bread and bacon, too.


    "Have you made up your mind, Marshall?" the human form of Kiltont asked as he took a bite of egg toast. No beating around the bush, huh? I took a moment to answer, getting lost in my meal for a minute.


    "How far are we from the nearest city?" I asked. "I appreciate the hospitality but I fear I''ve overstayed my welcome."


    "A three day walk." Marin said, setting down her teacup. She was in her human form now, though her eyes were still the same, avian and angry. "Though it''s longer due to all the dangerous wildlife around. The caravans have to come with dedicated protection."


    "When''s the next one coming?" She scoffed scornfully.


    "Ha. It was due two weeks ago." My eyebrows shot up.


    "Two weeks?!" Kiltont nodded gravely.


    "Yes. We are supposed to receive a caravan from the Capitol each month containing necessities we cannot provide ourselves such as cloth and metal, but it hasn''t come. The last one we received was nearly two months ago and was short by almost a quarter of what we needed."


    "What?! Why?"


    "''National Shortages'' is what I''ve been told." Kiltont''s green eyes flashed with anger as he spoke.


    "And that''s not true?" He scoffed.


    "Ha. Not in the slightest. Bilimont is a prosperous country and has been for years now." I frowned. Something didn''t seem right here. I might have been a Biology major, but even I knew when somethin'' was up.


    "So what''s the hold up? Why are the caravans not coming? Does the local Lord just not like you or something?" Marin sighed.


    "It''s not just him. The Emperor himself wants the city to fail. He can''t send the army to kill his own citizens, so he''s letting us die out naturally."


    "What the hell? That''s not fair."


    "No, it isn''t." Kiltont said. "But the world isn''t fair and life is mean."


    "Ain''t that the truth." I sighed, taking a sip of my tea. "I guess I''m staying, then. At least until this caravan arrives." Kiltont''s face split into a huge grin.


    "Wonderful! We will give you your own lodging, of course, and I''m sure Marin would be willing to cook..." he trailed off as his wife gave him the stink-eye. "Well, maybe not that last bit, but your own lodgings absolutely. If you don''t want to live by your self, I''m sure some of the younger men would be willing to room with you. Yes! Finally! Some help!" Kiltont smiled widely at me, newfound hope in his eyes. I held up my hands, gesturing for him to slow down.


    "Whoa, there, dude. I haven''t agreed to anything yet. And as awesome as house hunting sounds right now, I really want to see the body of this Steban you recovered yesterday." I said, failing to hide my excitement. A huge smile broke out over my own face as I thought about the plated and spiked creature.


    "I cannot fathom why you would want to see one of those creatures." Marin said. "They are terrifying." I shrugged.


    "Call it morbid curiosity."


    "Other than going to see that monstrosity, what are you going to do today?" Marin asked. I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came. I had no idea what I wanted to do. The world was my oyster and I was blanking. I wanted to find that girl again if I could, but had no idea where to start.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "If you''re free, I could use some help." Kiltont said, a gleam in his avian eye. I stared at him flatly and he grinned. "It''ll be fun. We get to break something."


    Kiltont, Rosie, and I walked down the middle of the dirt road. We were heading away from the wall and further into the village, towards the industrial part of town. There wasn''t all that much to look at in the village. Everything kind of looked the same, wooden and run down. Though I suppose this side of town had buildings that were consistently two or three stories tall, more like warehouses than actual lodging. Grasses and weeds were growing where the cart wheels didn''t travel, and I was taking care to walk along their line like a balance beam. Rosie barked, drawing my attention from my walking. I''d walked beyond the two and turned around, heading back towards a two story wooden shed.


    "Well, here we are." Kiltont said, pulling a bronze key from his pocket and putting it into the door as I approached. "The Butchery." The door swung open and I was immediately assaulted by the stench of blood. It was everywhere and overpowered everything, even the sickly sweet taste I had come to associate with Rivera. The inside of the wooden building was dark and dank, yet Kiltont strode in without fear, Rosie and I hot on his heels.


    "Zerik!" the Chief called out. The warehouse was cold and I could see his breath when he spoke. Nobody answered his call, though. "Zerik!"


    "What?!" a deep, angry voice shouted from the back of the warehouse. "Who''s yelling this early in the morning!" A large, burly man came down a set of stairs, rubbing his eyes and swearing profusely. He reached the bottom floor and froze. "Oh, Chief, it''s you." he chuckled, wringing his massive hands together. "What can I do for you?"


    "Zerik, this is Marshall." Kiltont put his hand on my shoulder and the big man looked at me, his smile fading.


    "What''s he want?" he asked Kiltont.


    "I''d like to see the Steban''s corpse you found yesterday." I said, stepping forward. "I think I found one of its spikes." I pulled the spike from my pouch and held it out for the large man to see. His mouth dropped open and he took it from me gingerly, running his sausage-y fingers over the smooth, pale surface.


    "Where did you find it?" he asked in a quiet voice. He turned away without listening to my answer. Either that, or he just didn''t hear me. Zerik walked to the back, lost in thought, and the three of us followed him. Lights came on as we walked, illuminating the rest of the warehouse. They weren''t electric like I was used to, rather a series of torches that seemed to emit light without a visible power source. I wonder if they are the same as the Light Stones in the house. The room was clean, well, as clean as a slaughterhouse could be. There was the occasional dark stain on the wood, but the rest of the building seemed like it had been scrubbed with a semi-clean towel in the last six months.


    The back of the warehouse held a large table with a creature placed on top. The room was chilly, cold enough to see my breath. The creature was clearly in the middle of being butchered, what with the back half of the body still having meat on it. The front half was nothing but bone. Zerik went to a wall and began suiting up, putting on a leather apron and gabbing a large cleaver. I froze when I saw the creature, my mind whirling. This isn''t possible.


    The beast was a solid twenty feet from snout to tail, about six feet tall at the shoulder, and looked like a living football with legs. The head was small compared to the rest of the body with a beak at the tip of the snout. There were at least twenty of the triangular plates on its back and they varied in size, going from small to large to small again. They ran from the base of the skull to the middle of the tail and pointed at forty-five degree angles from both the left and right sides of the spine. The tail was scaled and had three long, pale spikes on it, each one with a darkened tip. The fourth spike, the one closest to the head on the right side, was broken off. The spikes were bone white for the first six inches with an inch of some kind of brown separating the black tip and the white base. The creature was quadrupedal and thick looking, and I immediately knew what it was.


    "Holy shit." I whispered in awe, approaching the table. "It''s a stegosaurus." I couldn''t believe my eyes. There was a real life dinosaur right in front of me. With meat on it! A huge smile split my face as I looked at the creature. There are dinosaurs here.


    "Marshall?" I was knocked from my thoughts by a man''s voice. I shook myself and came back to the present, looking around for the speaker.


    "Hmm? What?"


    "Is this what you wanted to see?" Kiltont asked. I laughed, turning back to the body.


    "Yes. It''s... I can''t believe it. I knew your description sounded familiar, but that''s a stegosaurus." I pointed, grinning and still unable to process what I was seeing. I''d always loved dinosaurs and was unable to contain my inner child. I wanted to be a paleontologist before I found my calling as a Freshwater Biologist. "They went extinct during the late Jurassic period. I never thought I would get to see one in person." I whirled on Kiltont, a fire in my eyes. "I have to see a live one!" Rosie barked, latching onto my excitement. She spun in a circle, tail wagging with happiness. "Are you going to help me, Rosie?" Bark. I smiled wider. I can''t believe there are dinosaurs here!


    "Well, if you''re looking to see a live one, there''s a herd not far from here, maybe a two hour''s walk." Zerik said without looking up. "I''ve my work cut out for me here so I''d prefer if you didn''t bring back another one." He directed that last bit at Kiltont who chuckled.


    "We''ll see what we can do. You know how the Steban are." Zerik sighed.


    "Yeah, I know. I''ll prep another table."


    "Well, if you''re finished, Evan, we have some chores to take care of." I frowned, looking at the Chief.


    "What do you mean, ''chores''?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. Kiltont''s smile did not fill me with confidence.


    "Come with me." he said, gesturing for me to follow. I cast one last look at the stegosaurus over my shoulder, a grin once again spreading over my face, before following the Chief out of the warehouse. The sounds of a cleaver carving meat from bone echoed behind us as we stepped out into the bright morning sun.


    "What are these chores we need to do?" I asked, following the man down the street and further into the village.


    "Firstly, we need to clear the fallen tree blocking the road to the North. Then, there''s a section of the wall that needs repairs, and lastly, we need to solve the bandit problem."


    "Are those the only things on tap for today?"


    "Not even close." Kiltont sighed. "Those are just the most pressing things."


    "A hole in the wall in pressing?"


    "When young Terrors can slip in and snatch a lamb or a calf or even a child without anyone noticing, yes, a hole in the wall is a very big concern."


    "Ah. Hold on, the Terrors can get into the village?"


    "On occasion. Wood tends to rot pretty quickly out here. It''s hot and humid and stone is hard to get this far from the Capitol, so we have to be on top of our constructions. The Terrors can breathe fire, as well." We were quiet for the rest of the walk. I got lost in thought, wondering about the world I now found myself in. It was extremely dangerous but there seemed to be a whole lot to learn here. And there are dinosaurs! Who wouldn''t want to see a live dinosaur?


    "Alright." Kiltont said, drawing me from my thoughts. We had reached the edge of the village and were facing the large wooden wall I had leapt last night. "Once we leave the village, we are on our own. Are you ready?" I nodded firmly, setting my jaw. Kiltont smiled and walked forward, the gate rising as he did so. He gestured for me to follow him, holding a pair of axes in his other hand. "Come, Marshall. Let''s get to work."


    About a mile outside of the village, we came across our target. Sure enough, a short, fat tree was blocking the road. The trunk was wider than I am tall and was twenty or so feet in length. The top of the tree was bright green with a few brown leaves, denoting that it fell recently, within the last week. The leaves were long, thin, and pointed at the tips. Oak leaves. What the hell is an oak tree doing in what feels like the tropics? And why the hell is it so short? It had the branches of an oak, too. They were thick and sturdy looking, with some of them sticking forty feet into the air. I let out a whistle as we came to a stop.


    "Damn, that''s a big tree." I said, admiring the fallen giant.


    "Indeed. It would have taken me two or three days by myself, but with your help, we should have it done by sundown."


    "Sundown?!" I cried, whirling on the Chief. He set the pair of wood axes on the ground and put his hands on his hips, looking at the tree.


    "Yes. We have axes, so it should go pretty fast, even for a monster this large." As he spoke, he shuddered and turned blue-green, feathers sprouting from his body. The bird-man walked to the tree''s canopy and grabbed a thick looking branch. He could barely get his hands around it, it was so thick. And yet, with hardly a grunt of effort, the Chief yanked the branch free of the trunk. My mouth fell open in wonder as the six foot tall bird man spun the twelve foot long branch like a baton. He placed the stump on the ground and leaned the leaves towards me, pointing out a lumpy, red fruit.


    "These are Chao beans." he said, plucking the red lump from the green leafed branch. Kiltont grasped the fruit with two hands, tearing it in half and handing one to me. He grinned and took a bite of his half, a dark brown liquid spilling out of his mouth. Kiltont made a noise and tried to stop the flood, but to no avail. I watched in fascination as he devoured the fruit in just a few seconds.


    "Well?" he asked, wiping his mouth with a feathered hand. He smiled and nodded at me, encouraging me to eat my own half. I looked down at the fruit. The meat was a pure white with visible walls separating the segments and seemed to have liquid inside them. Each individual pod held multiple small, dark seeds embedded into the white meat. Shrugging, I bit into the fruit and groaned in surprise as the familiar bitterness of dark chocolate filled my mouth, and my eyes went wide. The liquid within the fruit was some kind of milk, mellowing out the bitterness as I chewed. When I swallowed, I could have sworn I was eating a room temp chocolate milkshake, but from a fruit, not a cold glass. Kiltont laughed as I devoured the fruit just as quickly as he had.


    "First time having Chao beans?" he asked through his laughter. I nodded, looking at my hands covered in the dark liquid.


    "Yeah. It tastes like a chocolate milkshake."


    "What''s a milkshake?" Kiltont asked as he grabbed another branch. "Now, hurry up. We''re burning daylight."


    "A treat from my homeland." I responded, wiping my own hands on the grass and grabbing a thick branch myself. Not expecting anything to happen, I pulled with a decent amount of effort. A loud CRACK! sounded through the morning air as the ten foot limb came away with ease. I blinked, staring at my hand holding the branch. I was strong, sure, but it should have taken more than that. "Huh?"


    "You''re a strange one, Marshall." Kiltont said, shaking his head and tearing another branch off with just as much ease as I had. We tossed the branches into a pile on the side of the road. "I''ve never met a Spark like you. You are constantly surprised by the most basic of things, have tamed a Cave Wolf, and survived a broken neck. I won''t pry into you, as much as my curiosity is begging me too. As long as you are willing to continue to work and don''t cause problems for the citizens, you will have a place with us." The bird man smiled a genuine, caring smile at me. My heart twinged a little and I nodded.


    "Thank you, sir." I said. "That means more than you know. I do have a question, if you don''t mind."


    "I''m listening."


    "This morning, Marin was talking to Lia like she was somehow lesser than your wife is, and it''s just... why? What''s a Vartin? Why''s it so bad? What''d Lia do to become one?" Kiltont thought for a moment, tearing another branch from the tree.


    "I can answer two of those, but not the last. A Vartin is someone who is magically bound to another. The ''Owner'', the person who owns the Vartin''s contract, has complete control over the Vartin. The silver choker around the neck denotes a Vartin, and they are looked down on for being property. Once you become one, it is incredibly difficult to earn your freedom again."


    "And it''s okay to beat them?" He nodded.


    "They''re your property. No one can tell you what is and is not allowed on your property, not even the Emperor. They are bought and sold or traded for in the markets, and having multiple is seen as a status symbol." I was quiet, my brain swarmed with new information, and we worked quickly for the next few hours, getting into a rhythm. Grab, pull, lift, throw. Over and over, branch after branch, for hours on end. I lost myself to the work pretty quickly, feeling the air in my lungs and the blood in my veins. It was a lot like being in the gym, where the harder and deeper I worked, the better I felt. I felt the fire from yesterday, my Spark, moving throughout my body. I focused on it, keeping my breathing and movements steady, infusing it into every muscle I moved. Grab, pull, lift, throw. The motions lost their meaning; all I felt was my body and Spark breathing and moving as one. The warmth ignited just a little bit more, growing warmer within my chest. I nurtured it, encouraging the small flame to grow.


    "Marshall!" I became aware of someone calling my name. I blinked, coming out of my stupor, and frowned in confusion. The top of the tree was bare, all of the branches gathered in a pile next to us. It was huge with dozens of limbs as thick as my chest. The entire canopy had been processed. I glanced up at the sky, seeing that the sun had passed mid-day. It was still decently high in the sky, about two in the afternoon if I had to guess. Kiltont was smiling widely at me.


    "What? How?" I asked the world, looking around me. "It should have taken us all day just to do the canopy. More than! Some of those branches were forty feet long! And there''s only two of us!" The bird man laughed, the sound high and cackling like a bird''s call.


    "I would have loved to be your Master." Kiltont said. "You are a hoot."


    "Thank you? I think."


    "It was a compliment, yes. Many Spark''s loose their sense of humor and wonder during the Ascension, yet you seem to be full of it."


    "Well, thank you." I wondered what the hell the Ascension was as I gestured at the trunk of the tree, eager to move the conversation on. I didn''t want him knowing I''m not from Carminal.


    "What are we going to do about the trunk and roots? Surely it won''t be us two again." Kiltont handed an axe, a grin on his face. I groaned. "Really?" His smile widened.


    Again, I got lost in the work. The new strength I possessed made it easy to tear the roots apart. After a few chops, I tossed the axe aside and used my hands, tearing the roots from the trunk with ease. A huge smile was plastered on my face the whole while. It wasn''t like the tearing the branches off wasn''t fun, the roots just felt more satisfying. I wasn''t sure if it was the crack! they made when I whipped one free or the smell of dirt that surrounded me or the sun beating down on me, but I was having a great time. The rest of the day passed quickly, with the roots taking us no more than two hours. The next few hours, though, sucked balls. For some reason, using my hands didn''t tire me, but the moment I started to use the axe to chop the trunk into moveable pieces, all the exhaustion I had built up over the day crashed into me at once. My arms lost all muscle and I could barely lift them an hour into chopping the trunk. I was sweating profusely, cussing up a storm, and loving every second of it. The grin never left my face, even when my vision blurred and I found myself on the grass next to the road. The sun had begun to set, bathing the tops of the trees in orange light. The air was warm and wet, sticking my clothes to me, and I shivered, my body suddenly cold. My arms were jelly and I couldn''t move them, but I didn''t care. I hadn''t pushed myself like that since the game against Alabama, and I felt awesome. Kiltont''s bird-like face appeared over me, grinning.


    "Well, well, well. It looks like you do have limits."


    "We all have our limits." I said, attempting to sit up. My abs screamed in agony and I gave up, falling back to he grass with a sigh. "Every human does." Rosie wandered over and licked my face, then wandered off again, laying in the shade of the trunk we had yet to clear.


    "It''s a good thing we''re not human, then." Kiltont said, smiling.


    "What?" I asked, turning my gaze back to him. There''s no way, right?


    "I am not a human. A man, yes, but not human. I am Macawian. You most certainly are not human, either, as you are far too large in height and weight. You look more like a Nethin than a Human. " I gave the Chief an appraising look, taking in his blue-green feathered skin and jade eyes. His hair was covered by the headdress he wore, or maybe that was his hair. His face had avian features, what with his eyes sunken a little more than that of a human''s, and his brow was more prominent as well. His enitre skull seemed to be more pointed than a human''s. The skin around his eyes was black and bumped like a bird''s and his nose was essentially a beak. Damn, that thing was big. Curved, too. He certainly didn''t look human, but his body did. It was bipedal with hands that had opposable thumbs and nothing stuck out where it shouldn''t. He didn''t have wings or a beak or anything like that, but the man was a bird. I watched him sprout feathers from all over. Twice. It was undeniable.


    "Huh. You learn something new every day. Macawian?" Kiltont held his hand out towards me, feathered fingers extended.


    "Yes. Come. The sun is almost down and we''ve still a ways to go before safety. We will return to finish tomorrow." I took his hand and he pulled me up. The feathers were soft but held onto me, seeming to have some sort of adhesive coating them that kept my hand from pulling away. I groaned as my legs took on my weight, dreading the walk back. I looked at the tree and couldn''t believe my eyes. We had cleared the entirety of the canopy and roots, and even gotten a good chunk of the road cleared.


    "I will send word to Lord Parvo that the road has been cleared. Hopefully the caravan will come soon." Kiltont said, looking down the road. His hand tightened into a fist. "It must."


    "It will." I said, though I didn''t believe it. The earth was completely undisturbed around the base of the tree and all the other trees were too far from the road to fall and block it. I hadn''t noticed at first on account of this being one of the largest tree''s I had ever seen, but someone blocked the road. Intentionally. I felt my face contort into a snarl and my hand tightened around my axe.


    "Come on." I said, turning back towards the village. "Let''s head back. I''m hungry."

 Chapter 5: Home

    Kiltont walked into the house, Rosie and I following close behind. It was across the street from his and he said it was the "Captain of the Guard"''s house. The inside was exactly the same as the Chief''s but without the second floor I had slept on last night. The Captain''s house was a single story, two bed and one and a half bath with working toilets. I wandered through the eight-room house in a daze, feeling completely at home and so very far from it at the same time. There was a living room with a couch and a few chairs around a table, a dining room and kitchen exactly like Kiltont''s, and two bedrooms. It even had a working washer and dryer. The Master Bed had the full bath with a tub and shower head, while the other one only had a toilet. Kiltont and I found ourselves standing in the front door as he pressed the key into my hand, smiling broadly.


    "Consider this today''s payment." he said, shaking the hand holding the key and leaving it in my palm.


    "Thank you." I answered numbly.


    "I''ll send a Vartin over in a little with some food. It surprises me that you know how to cook, Marshall. That''s a job for the women or Vartins, not a man." I smiled at the bird man thinly.


    "I''m full of surprises." Kiltont nodded and pat me on the shoulder, then headed back across the street. I stood there until he entered his house then turned back and entered mine, closing the door behind me. I was still having trouble processing everything that had happened today. Rosie whipped me with her tail again, pointing towards the backdoor. She patrolled around the backyard as I familiarized myself with my new house. It worked almost exactly like one from home, down to the adjustable light switches and working plumbing. A little while later, while I was marveling at the Queen sized bed with a blue and white flowered duvet on it in the Master Bed, Rosie padded into the room, barking at me.


    "Hmm? What''s up, Rosie?" She turned and walked back out of the room, looking back at me and waiting for me. I followed, gesturing for her to lead. "Alright, I''m coming." She led me to the front door where a timid series of knocks sounded from the other side. I opened it to find Lia with a basket in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. She wore the same outfit from earlier and the setting sun reflected off her dirty red hair, igniting her head in smoldering embers. Her emerald eyes shone out from beneath her shadowed brow, a beacon of safety in the fire. She cocked her head, her cute face screwing up in confusion and I blinked, realizing she had offered me the basket and wine. I took them from her with a word of thanks, smiling sheepishly and looking away.


    "Owner gave you enough food for three days. After that, you''re on your own." I looked at her, the harsh words sounding strange from the soft girl. "His words." Ah, that makes more sense.


    "I see. I''ll have to earn my keep, is what he''s saying." I took a moment, choosing my next words carefully. "Listen, if you haven''t eaten yet, I''d be happy to cook for you. The company would be nice, honestly." Her emerald eyes snapped onto mine, rooting me in place, the red circle on the outside of her irises flashing. She narrowed them and frowned, casting a glance back at Kiltont''s house. I held my hands up. "You don''t have to, if you don''t want to." Lia nodded slowly.


    "I would like to. Thank you, sir." she said, stepping by me and into the house. I smiled, closing the door behind me. Hell yeah.


    Later, as Rosie rested in front of the crackling fireplace, Lia and I had a wonderful supper of Steban flank steak, roasted veggies, and bread. She was still hesitant to eat, citing various traditions and cultural taboo''s and seemed surprised that I cared about her well-being, but I didn''t care. I told her she was still a person regardless of what others said and that she had basic rights. She fought back, saying that Vartin aren''t people and are nothing more than property to be bought and sold, to which I responded that that system was fucked and could suck my dick. I slammed my cup on the table, some of the wine splashing out of my cup. I blinked, trying to center my vision on one of the two wooden vessels as I continued my rant. Man, this wine is strong. Or maybe this body isn''t used to alcohol.


    "Who gives a fuck?! That Stegosaurus could feed this whole village for a week!" I took another bite of the dinosaur, hiding my grin behind a napkin. I''m eating dinosaur! How cool is that? "People are people and deserve to live, regardless of what cast they''re in. In a small community like this, there is no reason to deny someone food in times of plenty."


    "These are not times of plenty." Lia said, taking a small bite of her own Steban steak. A small smile played at her lips and she ate a little faster, scarfing down the rest of the meal. A smile of my own crept across my face as I watched her, glad that the thin girl was eating. My smile fell as Lia''s red hair and emerald eyes were replaced by Jen''s brown and blue. We had done this exact thing, eat steak and drink wine together, less than a week ago. I felt my lips pull down painfully as the feelings of betrayal overcame me again. The image of her shocked face from the house flashed in my mind, deepening my scowl and sending a spike of rage through my heart. I clenched my fist, not even realizing what I was doing, and the wooden cup in my hand exploded, splashing wine all over me. I stared dumbfoundedly at the wine dripping from between my fingers and the shattered remains of the cup covering the table. "Alright, what the fuck?" I said, exasperated. "That''s twice today! How strong am I?"


    "Error." Robot Lady said, causing me to jump. I growled, scowling at the sky.


    "I told you not to do that."


    "I''m sorry." Lia said, her sweet voice shot through with terror. I shook myself, coming back to my senses. Lia was hiding behind her chair, peeking out from around the back of it with wide, terrified eyes. Her caramel face was pale and she shook slightly. I stood and she flinched back, moving away from me.


    "I''m not mad at you." I said, steadying myself on the table. With some difficulty, I headed to the kitchen and grabbed a towel. "I told Robot Lady not to talk out of nowhere like that, but apparently she didn''t listen."


    "Robot... Lady?" Lia asked, her eyes never leaving me. She watched my every move, analyzing me.


    "The voice in my head. All she ever says is ''Error'', though. It''s really annoying." Lia''s already pale face became even paler, her emeralds looking me up and down. I mopped up the spilled wine and cleared the splinters from the table, grumbling all the while. Damn, that wine is strong. I grabbed the bottle and took a swig, holding it out to Lia. She took it gently like the bottle would burn her and I walked to back to the laundry room, tossing the soiled towel in the washer. Walking back to the dining room, I called: "Do all Sparks hear her, or is it just me?" Lia''s still pale, shocked face and unmoved position told me all I needed to know.


    "Just me, then. Don''t tell anyone, yeah?" The maid shook her head slowly, still looking out into the middle distance. I took the bottle back from her and another swig, returning to the table and my food. I sat heavily, my head spinning. Fuck, this wine is good. I ate the rest of the steak and orange colored veggies that tasted like cabbage, enjoying the new flavors. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced, yet so similar to cow that it was startlingly familiar. The same texture and flavor as regular steak, though by far the tenderest meat I''d ever eaten, abnd the juices were so much richer. Rosie wandered over and I tossed her a strip of meat which she caught out of mid air, swallowing it in one gulp. I grinned and pet the top of the wolf''s head, talking to her in dog talk. She seemed to love it, wagging her dark, bushy tail and panting happily, a huge grin on her canine face. Lia still hadn''t moved when I got up to clear the table. I frowned, putting my hand on her shoulder as I passed by.


    "Hey, you okay?" The girl blinked, coming out of her stupor.


    "Oh, um, yes, sir, I''m fine." she said, looking around nervously. She leaned closer towards me and whispered: "Do you really hear the gods in your ear?"


    "The gal who won''t stop saying ''Error''? Yes, I''ve already told you this."You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "And you care for Vartin, nor do you know about magic and monsters..." she trailed off, retreating into her thoughts. I let her be, clearing the dishes and looking around for a dishwasher.


    "Hey, Lia?" I called from the kitchen. "Do we have a dishwasher? Something like the washing machine, but for dishes?"


    "No, sir." she said, apparently having recovered from whatever had stunned her earlier. "Only nobles can afford dishwashers. They require multiple magical and mechanical interactions which can be very dangerous to create. Very few craftsmen are willing to take on such a challenge."


    "But washing machines are fine?"


    "They only require a little bit of magic and a Spornim Sponge. The dryer is the same, but uses a Kytipo''s Flame Orb instead."


    "How do you know all this stuff? About monsters and magic and shit, I mean? It''s impressive." I asked, turning on the faucet and letting the water warm. Lia didn''t answer, her choker glowing a slight purple. She went rigid, clenching her hands at her side, then relaxed a moment later as the glow faded. "Right. Can''t talk about it." She shook her head. I sighed, using the steel wool to scrub the dishes clean. "You''re tellin'' me y''all got steel wool, washing machines, and fuckin'' magic lights, but you ain''t got a dishwasher?" Lia shook her head no again and I scoffed. "What a world."


    I walked Lia home an hour later. Again, she protested, saying that I didn''t need to bother myself with her. I countered, telling her it was a gentleman''s pride to walk a Lady home. That seemed to really touch her, drawing forth an adorable blush that turned her face into a lacquered, wooden box lined with rose fabric, holding two emeralds wreathed in fire. They kept darting to mine and away again, her blush growing deeper each time. Her pencil thin lips curled into a shy, soft smile that just drew me in. I couldn''t take my eyes off of her and I took a step forward, arm rising. I caught myself, forcing my arm back down. There was a part of me that was disgusted, a part that played Jen''s smile over hers. I fought that part down, crushing it under my boot and forcing it into the depths of my soul, and lingered for a moment on the Chief''s steps like a school boy, warring with myself. Lia solved my dilemma, throwing her arms around my neck and pressing herself into me. I stiffened and inhaled, the sweet scent of flowers brushing the lizard part of my brain and sending shivers down my spine. I wrapped my arms around her for a second and her choker glowed a bright purple, heat flaring from it.


    "Ah!" I hissed, backing away. Lia''s face contorted into one of agony and she opened her mouth in a soundless scream, clawing at her throat. The light faded just as quickly as it came, leaving her panting. She crouched and wrapped her arms around her knees and sobbed into them, shoulders wracking. I raised my foot to take a step forward and the collar shone again. Lia grunted and I backed away farther. She stood and raced inside before I could say another word. Jesus, what the fuck was that? I sighed and turned back to my house, climbing the three steps and locking the door behind me. She''s a problem for tomorrow, not tonight. Rosie stood and shook herself, walking back towards the bedroom, and I followed, covering my yawn.


    I met with Kiltont at the gates early the next morning. He smiled as he approached, handing me an axe when he got close enough. We exchanged greetings and headed out towards the fallen tree, remaining quiet until we reached the tree and I broke the silence.


    "Alright, dude, I gotta ask." I said. "What''s going on here? I know you noticed that there''s no hole from the tree roots, nor are there any other trees nearby that could fall like that one did. It makes no sense. Someone blocked this road." Kiltont sighed, shifting his axe to the other shoulder.


    "Yes, I know. I have my suspicions as to who it was, as well."


    "The local fuckhead?" Kiltont gave me a confused look. "The Lord."


    "Martil, yes. I believe he blocked the road to hurry our demise."


    "You''re awfully calm for being besieged by your own country." He chuckled.


    "Just because I have accepted my situation does not mean I have given up."


    "Yeah, well, fuck that guy anyway." The bird man scoffed, growing his feathers and chopping at the tree.


    "I like you, Marshall." We were quiet for a good while, both of us getting lost in the work. The wood disappeared at a startling rate as we worked, turning the trunk into workable planks that we stacked on the side of the road. By early afternoon, we had the processed the entire tree, leaving the road completely clear.


    "Damn." I said, still somehow astonished by shit. It''s been three days of nothing but surprises, and yet I am still surprised when something supernatural happens. "How the hell''d we finish that so quickly?"


    "The Hunter''s Trance is something only a few of us get to experience. It took me thirty years to achieve it and another twenty to master it. And yet, you..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "You seem to slip into the Trance without even realizing it."


    "And that''s what we were doing?" He scoffed, turning back towards the village.


    "You are a conundrum, but gods are you helpful. Come, let''s see if we can use this wood to fix the fence." Three hours, a pair of raw hands, and a whole lotta trips to the tree later, there was a large pile of wood in the center of the village. The villagers all gathered around, grabbing pieces and leaving without so much as a word. Kiltont grabbed the board we had set aside for the hole in the fence and told me to follow him, heading in a direction I hadn''t been before. I kept my head on a swivel, taking in all the sights, not that there was much to see anyway. Just more wooden buildings for unknown purposes and people glaring at me from under hooded brows. At least, they looked like normal people. The buildings got worse and worse as we walked, becoming more rundown and shabby.


    "Is everyone always so on edge around here?" I asked after the fifth person closed the windows as we passed.


    "This is the Vartin part of town. Those who can''t live with their owner''s live here. The others don''t come here if they can help it."


    "Is that why they''re so suspicious?"


    "That, and the last few months have not been the best for us. We are running low on food stores and lack any hunters capable of bringing in enough meat, and the farmers are being slaughtered by the bandits. We are surviving, but barely, and the Vartin are bearing the worst of it. They don''t get much food in the best of times, but now..." he trailed off, his avian eyes darkening with sadness. "My population is dwindling. I''ll send the last quarter their way." I scowled at the mention of the farmers.


    "I came across two families on my way in." I said, the bodies flashing in my mind followed by my hand, and I shuddered. "Burned at the stake. Were the bandits responsible?" Kiltont''s face changed from sadness to rage, and he nodded.


    "Yes." That was all he said, refusing to elaborate further, and I didn''t want to push him. We came to the wall soon after that and found that the wood had, indeed, rotted. There was a hole the size of my torso in the bottom left of one of the planks. Kiltont knelt next to it, placing the board over the hole. I handed him a nail and he hammered it in, repeating the process eleven more times, securing the breach. The bird man nodded and rose.


    "Good. We accomplished a lot today, Marshall. Thank you for all your help. I hope I can continue to count on your assistance." he said, smiling broadly. I extended my hand, smiling back. Kiltont frowned and looked at it. I took his hand in mine and pumped it firmly twice.


    "Happy to help, my friend."


    That night, Kiltont knocked on my door at sundown again. When I opened it, he had a massive grin on his face, another bottle of wine in one hand and the other behind his back, and Lia stood behind him on the street, also holding something behind her back.


    "Kiltont." I said, smiling at him and trying not to look at Lia. "What''s up?"


    "I''ve come with your payment for today''s work." he replied, smiling the widest smile I''d seen from him. He held out the bottle and I took it, trying to keep the confused look from my face. He took his other hand from behind his back and presented me with a piece of yellow-ish paper tied with a red ribbon. I took it from him, the confusion well and truly showing this time.


    "What''s this?" I asked.


    "The Vartin''s contract." My eyes went wide and snapped onto Lia, who was watching me with intensity.


    "What? Really?" Kiltont nodded, his grin never lessening, actually growing brighter if you can believe it.


    "Yes. Every good Hunter needs a Vartin, and I''ve a feeling you''re going to go far. This one comes from good stock and will prove its worth in combat."


    "Thank you, Kiltont. This..." I trailed off, lacking the words.


    "No, Marshall, thank you. I care for this city and its property, and this one needed to be moved. It was not in the best place before you arrived and I was powerless to help. You are doing me a favor." Lia climbed the steps and walked around Kiltont, taking her hands from behind her back and revealing a patchwork bag. She bowed to me, saying:


    "Thank you for purchasing me. I promise to serve you well, Owner." Still shocked, I nodded dumbly.


    "Uh huh." My brain was playing catch-up, and having a hell of a time doing it, too. I own Lia now? I don''t know how to feel about that. On the one hand, that''s fuckin'' awesome ''cause now I can grill her for all the information she possesses without worrying about her choker going off, and on the other, I own her. Being a white man from Mississippi, that comes with a whole lotta social baggage thaaat doesn''t matter anymore ''cause this ain''t Earth. This is Carminal. A slow grin spread its way across my face. "Thank you, Kiltont. You have my word I will take good care of her." The bird man nodded and turned to depart, casting one last look at us over his shoulder.


    "Ameilia." he said. Lia went stock still and turned to face the Chief slowly, her face shrouded in fear. He smiled at her kindly. "Good luck out there. I pray that you live a good life." With that, the Chief nodded and returned to his house, leaving Lia and I standing on my porch. I drew the magic pouch from my pocket and placed Lia''s contract inside, confirmed that it took one of the six pockets, then returned the pouch to whatever magical hidey-hole it went to when I put it in my pocket.


    "Alright." I said, clapping my hands and turning to Lia. "First things first. Let''s eat, shall we?"

 Chapter 6: Training

    I set the bottle of wine on the dining table, offering to take Lia''s bag from her. She shook her head no, clutching the patchwork bag like her life depended on it. I backed down and led her to the second bedroom.


    "This one''s yours." I said, opening the door. She looked confused, hesitantly entering the room.


    "I get to choose?" she asked, looking back at me. Now it was my turn to be confused.


    "Choose what? The room is yours." Lia whirled on me, her emerald eyes going wide.


    "Mine? All of it?" I nodded.


    "Yeah, why wouldn''t it be? Rosie doesn''t use it and it''s just me and her, well, now you too, I guess. But Rosie sleeps in my bed, so this one isn''t being used." Lia walked to the middle and stood there quietly, looking at the room around her. She set the bag on the ground and walked past me, heading back towards the kitchen. As she passed, Lia reached out and touched my arm.


    "Thank you." she hissed as her collar reacted, burning purple. Her face contorted into a snarl that fell away as the color returned to normal.


    "I know I said we''d eat first, but this takes priority." I grabbed Lia''s arm and turned her around to face me. The fire in her eyes burned a little brighter, turning her emerald eyes into shining jewels. I shook myself, not allowing me to get lost in them. I pulled the contract from my pouch and held it in front of her. "This," I said, shoving the document into her hands. "is null and void. As your Owner, I, Marshall Prescott, relieve you of all duties as my Vartin and free you from your bondage." I hope I did that right. Those words sound good, at least.


    Lia stared at me, her small hands clutching the document. She gasped as it burst into flames, burning up in just over a second. The ashes didn''t even reach the floor, dissipating into nothing before they could. The silver choker around her neck cracked and burst open, shattering into thousands of shiny pieces. The shards reflected the light, glowing a soft yellow and silver as they fell, also dissipating into nothing before reaching the floor. Lia stood there, dumbfounded. Smiling, I pulled the small woman into a hug, completely enveloping her in my arms. I held her gently, squeezing her only slightly for fear of crushing her like the cup last night. She inhaled sharply as I did so, body going stiff, until she realized there was no pain, no burning. Slowly, I felt her raise her arms and wrap them around me, squeezing me tighter and tighter. Her body began to shake and I felt something cool and wet soak through my shirt. I pulled back, looking down at her. She was crying quietly into my abdomen and I could see her lips moving slightly. I listened intently, trying to make out what she was saying.


    "Thank you."


    It was all she said as I held her. We stood there in the hallway for a solid half hour until my stomach started to growl. She clutched me tighter for a second then let go hesitantly, still holding on to three of my fingers like a child, but I didn''t mind. Her small hand felt magnificent in mine and I squeezed it softly before I could stop myself. The smile she gave me, though, made me forget about everything but her. Silver rivers streamed from her burning emeralds, running down a caramel landscape that lead to the sun itself. A strand of burgundy floated in front of it and I swept it behind her ear, leaving my hand against the side of her head. Her hair was soft and silky and I could feel the warmth of her skin underneath my hand. Her genuine, truly happy smile brought one to my own face, and it fell away immediately. Lia''s glowing countenance was replaced by Jen''s the day I proposed to her. She looked exactly like Lia did now, like I was the only thing that mattered in the world. I saw her riding Harper and I stepped away from Lia, scowling. The sun went behind clouds of sadness as I backed away.


    I took a deep breath and re-centered myself. This isn''t Earth. Jen isn''t here. That body died. I need to let go.


    I punched a hole in the wall.


    "Fuck!!" I growled under my breath, shaking the blood from my fist. Lia, emeralds full of terror, moved forward slowly, hand glowing gold. She wrapped mine in both of hers and held it gently.


    "I''m sorry, Sir." she said. Her voice was soft and melodious and soothed my raw heart. "Whatever I did..." I smiled at her as kindly as I could manage.


    "It''s not your fault, Lia. I... It doesn''t matter. I''m not angry at you." She let go of my hand and I shook it out, checking it over for damage. Nothing. Completely healed. "Is healing a Spark power? Or are you just that awesome?" I asked, forcefully lighthearted. Lia grasped at where the choker had been and took a deep breath. She had a pretty bad tan line from it, the skin much paler than the rest of her and leaving a clear outline of the choker.


    "We... My family specialized in the healing arts. Some people can harness their Spark and channel it into another, increasing the body''s natural recovery rate. It is extremely energy intensive without proper training and knowledge and, if done wrong, could kill the person you are trying to heal."


    "Damn. Well, thank you for not killing me. Second question, now that you can speak freely." I said, moving out of the hall and into the kitchen, stomach rumbling again. "Can you teach me? I want to know more about these ''Monsters''."


    Lia told me about the world I now found myself in as we ate. This world, Carminal, is one that contains even more biodiversity than Earth. Mankind, which didn''t mean just human but also included species like Macawian, Lacoin, Nethin, and others, has struggled to carve itself a home in this dangerous world. It wasn''t until the Hunter''s Guild was established seven hundred years ago that they finally began to dominate the world. With the Guild''s founding came a boom of technological advancement like the washing machine, the Light Scales, and air travel.


    "Air travel?!" I cried, choking on my wine. "Like planes and helicopters and shit?" Lia nodded.


    "Yes. The Guild has exclusive access to them, though. They are for Hunter use only, and Elite Hunters at that." Her eyes narrowed, emeralds gazing at me in suspicion. "How do you know about them?"


    "Planes are pretty common where I come from. So much so that even civilians can fly in them, if they paid enough money."


    "Really? You''ve flown before?" I nodded, taking a bite of steak. I''m getting a little tired of steak. Maybe I''ll ask for a stew tomorrow.


    "Many times. We flew out to California for a bowl game a few times." Lia was quiet, poking at her food and fidgeting in her chair. Clearly she wanted to ask me something. "Go on, ask your question. You''re free now, remember?"


    "Right. I''m sorry, Sir." I smiled. I''ll break her of that habit later. Being called ''Sir'' is weird and I''d much rather her call me by my name. "May I ask, where do you come from?"


    "America." She pointed at me.


    "I knew it! You are like the First Emperor. You aren''t from Carminal, are you?" I grinned at her.


    "Nope. Not quite sure how I wound up way out here, but I woke up in the jungle a few days ago and shit hasn''t really calmed down since. I have way too many questions and not nearly enough answers, and I need to see some gash darn dinosaurs. Soon as that caravan arrives, you and I are gettin'' the fuck of here and joinin'' that Hunter''s Guild you were talking about."


    "Really?" Lia''s voice was shot through with shock. "You want me to join with you?"


    "Of course. I need someone to provide me with information about this world and the monsters, and you are the obvious choice. Not to mention you know my secret and can heal. Rosie''s coming, too."


    "But I''m no longer a Vartin. I could say no."


    "Yep." I said, nodding.


    "And you are alright with that? Without the contract, there''s nothing to ensure that I will work."


    "Yep. It''s your life. Do what you want with it. I want to see some cool ass dinosaurs, and I want you to come with me." The girl was quiet for the rest of the night, lost in thought. I let her be, playing with Rosie in the backyard in the last few minutes of sunlight as she did the dishes. I''d offered to help but she essentially kicked me out, saying that she enjoyed the work and needed to think.


    Kiltont had gifted me a length of rope in last night''s basket and I was using it as a wolf toy. We were playing tug-of-war when it finally got a little too dark to see. The wolf flopped heavily on the bed as I undressed and stepped into the bathroom, turning on the shower. Afterwards, as I dried my hair and marveled at the golden scar around my neck, there was a soft knock at my bedroom door.


    "One sec!" I hollered, tossing the towel into a corner and throwing on the tan pants. I need more clothes. I opened the door to find Lia standing there, eyes downcast. "Lia. What''s up? Did you want to use the shower?" Her emerald eyes snapped up and onto mine, rooting me in place.


    "I... I can?" she asked.


    "Of course. You gotta keep yourself clean."


    "But showers are precious and only for the rich. They aren''t meant for people like me."


    "Then it''s a damn good thing you''re precious." I said, stepping aside and ushering her into the room. "The knob on the right is cold, the left is hot." I stepped out of the bedroom, closing the door and giving her privacy. I cursed myself, wondering why I said that, but damn, she''s gorgeous. I was half tempted to sneak a peek but cast the thoughts aside with a shake of the head. No, she''s still a person; it''s not right to peep on her. When she was done with her shower, Lia once again stood in front of me, eyes downcast and twisting her towel in her hands. Her hair was dark and wet, shinning in the soft light.


    "Um, Sir." she said. Her voice was soft and timid, caressing my ears with its sweetness. "I have a request."


    "Sure. Whatcha need?" I tried to keep my nerves under control, but I really didn''t like where this was headed.


    "I..." she went silent again, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "I... Never mind. Good night, Sir." With that, the girl turned and fled my room in a flash, barely opening the door and slipping out without a sound. Huh. Wonder what that was all about. It sure as hell wasn''t about a shower. I threw myself on the bed, petting Rosie''s stomach. She exhaled heavily, and I closed my eyes.


    My eyes shot open as I felt something move under the covers next to me. I was lying on my back and the room was dark, darker than it had been before. I cast my gaze around as the thing moved further into the bed. Clearly it wasn''t a danger as Rosie would have alerted me if it was. Which meant it was Lia. I knew she didn''t want a shower. I sat up and glared at the girl creeping her way into my bed.


    "Lia." I said in my Big Man voice. It echoed around the room, full and firm. The shape in my bed stopped moving and Lia''s tan face peeked out from under the covers. "What are you doing." She stared up at me, shaking slightly, and I sighed, falling on my back and looking over at her. Her adorable face was screwed up in fear, even as she scooted half an inch closer to me.


    "I..." She spoke in a whisper and swallowed heavily. "I am free now. I... can choose. You said so. I can choose. I choose this one." She became more and more feverish as she spoke, her emerald eyes darting from mine to everywhere else and back again.


    "You want my room?" Lia shook her head no.


    "I want your bed." she whispered, moving closer. She was only an inch or two away now and I got a whiff of flowers that tickled the back of my brain. I rose from the bed, looking down at the girl.


    "You can have it. I''ll take the other one." I laughed awkwardly and turned, making for the door.


    "No!" Lia called, the loudest I had ever heard her speak. I froze and turned around slowly, keeping my eyes on the window on the other side of the room. "No. I want your bed." she said, holding her hand out to me. I sighed, fighting the urge to look at her. I didn''t know if she was naked and it was better not to take that chance. "Please, Sir." I lost the fight and my eyes latched onto the woman. Lia was topless, or at least her shoulders were bare, and her long, wine red hair hung down her back in a silky waterfall. Her emerald eyes shone in the darkness, the line of fire around the irises pulsing just like my scar. I groaned, running my hands over my face and loosing the fight by the second.


    "Fine. Only if you call me by my name, not ''Sir''. And Rosie sleeps between us. That''s non-negotiable." I said firmly.


    "Thank you!" she cried, bouncing slightly. Lia''s smile was the first ray of sunshine after a long, hard winter and drew a smile onto my own. I scoffed and shook my head, trying to keep the grin from my face and failing. I walked back to the bed as Rosie rose from her spot at the foot and fell in the middle of us I slid in next to the wolf, snuggling up close and pressing my face into soft fur.


    "Good night, Lia. Rosie." I said, kissing the wolf on the top of her head.


    "Good night, Si... Marshall. Rosie." I closed my eyes and let my hand run up and down Rosie''s side, allowing my exhaustion to take hold and deliberately ignoring the beauty on the other side of the wolf. It took a while, but I eventually slipped back into sleep.


    I woke the next morning with Lia in my arms and my face buried in her glorious hair. I sighed.


    "Fuck!" I swore quietly. I knew this was going to happen. There was no way in hell that girl was going to let Rosie stay between us all night, and lo and behold, I was right. She felt wonderful, though, small and tight and lithe, and her skin was incredibly soft when I accidentally brushed against her arm. I fought against the need to pull her closer, to press my lips to hers and taste her. Jen flashed in my mind, the first time we slept together. Her kind, loving smile as she caressed the side of my head, the morning sun shinning on her brown hair. My fianc¨¦ was replaced by Lia smiling up at me last night and my arms tightened around the girl a little. She stirred and stretched, rolling onto her back and opening her magnificent eyes. She let out a moan that sent a shiver down my spine as she finished stretching.


    "Good morning, Sir." she said, looking at me. Her lips curled into a slow, lazy smile and she reached up, caressing my face exactly as Jen had. Her fingers barely touched my skin, sliding through my hair as she stroked the side of my head.


    "Good morning, Lia." I responded, fighting to keep my voice neutral. "I''m uh, sorry about this." The girl turned on her side and faced me fully, penciled lips sticking out and moving a little closer. "Though you don''t seem to mind." I added softly. She shook her head no, leaning it against my bare chest. She buried her face into it and my skin lit up where she touched me. Something soft and warm repeatedly pressed against my chest and my hold slipped a little, my hands dropping lower than I wanted and squeezing against my will. She gasped and looked up, the fire in her eyes burning brighter than I''d ever seen them before. Her lips drew me in, closer, closer, their thin line parted slightly and begging to be met. Lia ran her hand up my chest, trailing her fingers lightly against my skin and sending shivers up my spine, pushing me closer to the edge.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The war inside me raged as I stared at the girl in my arms. I rubbed her shoulder softly, feeling her warm skin under mine. Jen kept flashing in my mind; her smile, her laugh, her scent, her taste, the sounds she made as she rode Harper, the look of pure ecstasy as she lay against his legs. My blackened hand marring her flawless skin. Lia''s skin replaced Jen''s, emeralds overcoming the oceans of pain, the sun burning away the clouds of sadness. Lia moaned and moved against me, our lips continuing to press together and I pulled her closer, tighter. Dammit.


    KIltont grinned when he opened his door.


    "Good morning, Marshall. Var-" he stopped mid-sentence, his grin widening into a full blown smile. "I stand corrected. Good morning, Lady Ameilia. It is wonderful to make your acquaintance." Kiltont bowed to Lia and I frowned. Is it just customary to refer to females as ''Lady'' in this land? Lia blinked, a blank look on her face.


    "Good... good morning, Own... Chief Kiltont." she said, dropping into a perfect curtsy. "I am honored to make yours as well." My frown deepened. That whole interaction seemed weird, like they were putting on a performance for an audience that didn''t exist.


    "What the hell was that?" I asked. "That wasn''t a normal greeting." Kiltont turned his smile on me, though it seemed a little more forced, like a teacher turning on a student who kept blurting out answers when they asked a question.


    "Very observant, Marshall. You are correct, I did not use a normal greeting. I used the formal greeting one does when first meeting a noble."


    "''Noble''? You''re a noble?" I asked, turning a confused look on Lia. She shrunk under my gaze, trying to make herself as small as possible and nodding just slightly.


    "yes." she whispered.


    "Huh. Neat. Anywho, you got time today, Kiltont? I got somethin'' I wanna ask you about."


    "I suppose I have time this morning. What do you need?" I felt a slimy, self-serving grin cross my face.


    "Training." The bird man''s eyes went wide.


    "Training?"


    "Yessir. I''ve decided that we are going to be Hunters." Kiltont nodded, a proud smile on his face.


    "It seems I made the right choice, entrusting you to him. I will train you both to the best of my ability. It will be difficult, but I have faith you can do it. Come, let us begin immediately."


    We ran for the rest of the day, and let me tell you, it fuckin'' sucked. Kiltont claimed that Hunters needed to be able to run; either to chase or to flee, I, being a former Offensive Lineman, hated every second of it. I was done forty-five minutes into the first run, falling onto my back when Kiltont called a break. Lia and Rosie were fresh as daisies, barely even breathing heavily while I heaved on the ground, suffering.


    "Damn, boy, you have no stamina." Kiltont said, his shadow falling over me as he blocked the sun. I raised a finger and let it fall, completely wiped. "Get up." He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to my feet, despite my avid groaning. "Ah, shut up. Find your Spark, you big idiot. You didn''t even use it once while you were running."


    "I forgot." I said, closing my eyes and searching for the warmth of my Spark. "I fuckin'' hate running."


    "Well, you need to get over that. Running is one of a Hunter''s core tools. When your quarry can fly, you must be able to run after it. When a town is being slaughtered, you must be able to continue, even when exhausted. You do not have the option to quit, to get tired, to walk. Most days, being a Hunter is the greatest job in the world, but there are days where you will wish you never Awoke, days when you wish you could take it all back. Those are the days you train for, the days you earn the right to be called a Hunter. You train for the days where you don''t come home, when the plan goes so awry that you''re lost in the jungle for a week. When your party is gone and you are all alone, you will have no one but yourself to rely on. Now, find your Spark, and fucking run."


    By the time the sun was almost done setting, the clouds a dark black against the glorious fire, I was barely able to stand. My legs screamed, and me too, for that matter, when Kiltont pushed on my back, stretching my hips and hamstrings.


    "Fuck, man!" I growled, shaking my legs out. "That hurt!"


    "Good. You need to increase your flexibility. Your movements are too stiff." I grumbled, continuing to stretch and knowing that he was right. Stamina is important and a flexible body is necessary to fight properly. That makes sense.


    We ate a wonderful supper of Steban Stew and bread tonight. Lia did a wonderful job cooking as I was far too tired. I''d taken a shower while she prepped the food and came out to an already set table. Rosie, true to form, was lying in front of the crackling fireplace and munching on her own portion of steak. Lia showered as I did the dishes, filled with a surprising sense of normalcy. We had adapted to living together pretty well, like we''d been doing it for a year, not a day. I got lost in my thoughts, Jen''s laugh being chased by Lia''s smile in my mind and torturing me.


    That night, as my thoughts continued to buzz and made worse by the fact that Lia kept trying to give me hickeys, I held the small woman in my arms. I closed my eyes, exhaustion heavy in my mind. The thoughts finally started to slow, settling on Lia''s wonderful smile and smell. I kissed her neck once and slipped into sleep.


    The next week was nothing but running. We didn''t even lift a weapon or a stick, just kept running. Some days Kiltont would join us, some days he would send the guards to train with us for a while, and on one day nobody came. It was God-fucking-awful, and, on the dawn of the first week of my time in Carminal, I''d finally had enough. When Lia, Rosie, and I met the Chief on his porch that morning, I put my foot down.


    "Enough." I said, looking Kiltont in his jade, avian eyes. "I''ve been here for a week and I''ve yet to see a dinosaur. That''s what I''m doing today. I''d like for y''all to come with me ''cause everything you''ve said about this place makes it sound like the jungle itself is ready to eat me, but I''m willing to go by myself. I also don''t know where any of the creatures are."


    "I don''t know what these ''die no sawrs'' you keep talking about are, but the herds of Steban are still relatively close, maybe an hour''s walk. As long as you two agree to do exactly what I say, I''ll take you out there." The smile on my face could have lit up a room, it was so big.


    "Hell yeah!"


    An hour later, the four of us crouched just behind the tree line, staring out into the grove where a family of seven stegosauruses roamed. Stegosauruses? Stegosauri? Regardless, they ranged in size, from the size of a normal dog to bigger than a school bus. Each one had plates on their back that red in color, and a tail with four nasty spikes on the end. Their skin was covered in light green and brown scales that helped the creatures to blend into the jungle around them. One of the creatures on the larger side snapped at two younglings who raced by and bumped into the larger one. The little ones made noises and scampered off, presumably to get into more trouble. The large ones also had a spike on the end of their chins that the little one''s didn''t. I wonder if that''s for foraging.


    Rosie growled, drool dripping from her jaws. She pulled her lips back into a snarl and stalked forward a little, almost leaving the safety of the trees. I pet her softly, whispering comforting words into her ear. Slowly, she calmed down and stopped growling. Nodding, I turned back to watch the Steban''s go about their lives. They appeared to be your typical herd herbivores, never ranging too far from the others and constantly foraging. We watched them for an hour or so when the largest Steban raised its head and let out a massive HONK! that sounded more like a huge goose than a legendary dinosaur. The herd gathered around the leader who lead them out of the clearing and into the jungle, moving on. We waited for a minute or two as the Steban''s departed when I felt Kiltont tense next to me.


    "Do not move." he whispered, sinking further into the undergrowth. Rosie crouched down, laying flat against the earth and eyes darting around. Something''s wrong. I crouched with Kiltont, dragging Lia down with me. We knelt there for a moment and I began to wonder if we were over-reacting when the King himself appeared from the other side of the clearing, and my breath caught in my throat. A huge, square head emerged from the trees, sniffing at the air, large nostrils flaring. Shinning, golden eyes set a yard or two behind the snout scanned the clearing with surprising intelligence and as its gaze passed over us, I knew it saw us. I felt its bloodlust as it turned its attention our way. Rosie growled softly and I stroked her back, my eyes locked on the monster. The heavily muscled jaw opened slightly as the beast lowered its head, bearing serrated teeth as long as my forearm. Drool dripped from between the fangs as a low growl reached our ears. It resonated in my bones and drove a spike of fear into my heart, kicking my adrenaline into production. My nerves fired a little faster and an excited smile crept onto my face.


    The beast stepped from the jungle, tri toed feet leaving distinct prints in the disturbed earth, and stood to its full height, a towering thirty feet. The head was attached to a thick neck that was feathered on the top and scaled underneath. The scales and feathers, both of which covered the theropod, were differing variations of green. The scales tended to be on the lighter side and on the under/inner parts of the beast, while the feathers were darker and covered the outer parts, resembling the skin from sharks back home. They covered a large body that ended in a long, heavy tail meant to help balance the massive thing. The small, bi clawed arms grasped at the air as the creature sniffed the upturned earth. Its nose was working overtime, taking in everything, when the honk from the Steban sounded again, further away this time. The Tyrannosaur took one last look at us, its golden eyes staring right into mine, and it turned, disappearing back into the jungle in the direction of the roar. The ground didn''t thunder as the beast left as I had expected. The King left without a sound, continuing his hunt. Guess we were a little too small for it to consider. I let out the breath I had been holding and turned to Lia.


    "That was awesome!" I hiss-shouted, keeping my voice low. I didn''t want to attract the attention of the monster. "If Hunter''s get to see creatures like that everyday, sign me up." She smiled at me, laughing gently.


    "You''re a crazy person." she said and I laughed quietly as well. "We just survived laying eyes on the Devilk, and you want to see more?"


    "I''m pretty sure, yeah. I want to study that creature. All of these creatures. I want to learn it all." I said, a massive grin on my face. "Will you help me?" Rosie arf!''ed her assent, panting happily. I smiled down at the wolf, grateful to have her. She was adorable and a good friend. Lia nodded, setting her face in determination.


    "I will."


    "That thing was called a Devilk?" I asked a little while later as we walked back to the village. Kiltont nodded.


    "Yes." He sounded shaken, his voice a little weaker than normal and lacked its usual boisterousness. "We were very, very lucky."


    "Really?" I remembered the feeling of its gaze on me, how it seemed to know I was watching it and the bloodlust that sent a shiver down my spine. "Yeah, that makes sense. It knew we were there."


    "Yes, it did. It... I do not know why it did not attack. It did so before."


    "Is it the King around these parts?" Kiltont frowned at me. "The top dog. The Apex predator."


    "Ah, I see. Yes, the Devilk is the Apex in Andesis. It and its sister species, the Alosix, which can harness the power of the winds, are the masters of this land." My brain swelled, absorbing all the new information.


    "I need a journal." I said, musing aloud. "Preferably one that I can use for a good long while to stash all these monster facts in. A pen, too." I paused and waited, expecting my Spark to react, but it didn''t. Not at first, at least. As I let out a sigh of disappointment and continued to walk, a heat grew in the center of body. I smiled and closed my eyes, nurturing the warmth and encouraging it along. It raced from my core up my arm and into my hand where it pooled, collecting more and more. It felt like there was a barrier in the way, preventing the power from exiting and I followed it, looking for a hole to ease the power through. I wasn''t able to find one and my hand got uncomfortably hot, like I had just run my hand under a really warm sink. The heat grew to a burning level, almost as bad as it was when I broke my neck. I panicked, the pain doing my focus no favors, and started to beat on the barrier blocking the power. I felt something give and beat it harder, throwing myself against it. The barrier bent and warped around me and I pushed harder, letting out a grunt. The barrier gave and the power rushed free, leaving me drained and panting, kneeling on the jungle floor. I shook my head, trying to clear the spinning. It didn''t work very well and I fell to my back, looking up at the sky. Damn, that sucked. Why''d that one suck so much more than the gauze and steak?


    "Sir?" I became aware of someone speaking to me and Lia''s caramel face came into view, silhouetted by the jungle canopy. I smiled up at her and Rosie licked my face.


    "I''m good." I said, getting to my feet and looking around. "Ah, there we are." I walked over and picked up the thin black notebook on the ground and the black pen that came along with it. I clicked the pen a few times, making sure it worked, then opened the notebook. It was lined and had probably sixty total pages. The inside of the front cover said


    Property of Marshall Prescott.


    "Nice." I slid the notebook and pen into my pocket where they disappeared and looked over at Lia and Kiltont who were staring at me with wide expressions. "What? Never seen a man summon a notebook before?" Lia laughed softly, covering her mouth with a hand and shoulders shaking.


    "Gods, you''re weird. Normal people can''t summon things, Sir." she said. "Only you Wayfinders can."


    "Really? What are Wayfinders? Folks from other worlds?"


    "Yes, sir. The First Emperor was one, as well. Like you, he was from America."


    "Yeah, you said that the other day. I assume this is something we should keep secret?"


    "Very much so, yes." I nodded, turning to Kiltont and dropping my smile.


    "Let''s keep it that way." Rosie growled softly, emphasizing my words.


    "No need to threaten me, boy." Kiltont said. "Your secret is safe with me. I figured you were a Wayfinder from the moment we met."


    "Really?"


    "Yes. Who else would be able to tame a Cave Wolf and survive a broken neck after having just Awoken?"


    "Huh." The walls of the village came into view a little while later and, when we entered the gate, Kiltont turned to us and said:


    "A good outing, the both of you. You did well not to loose your composure when the Devilk appeared. Now," his mouth curled into a sadistic smile and he glanced up at the sky. "it seems there is still time in the day." I groaned, shoulders drooping.


    "Really?" He shrugged.


    "The sooner you get going the sooner you can finish. Twenty laps."


    "Man, fuck." I said, starting to run along the inside of the wall. Rosie bounded along next to me, her tongue flopping wildly and a smile on her face. She''s such a pretty girl. Lia caught up quickly, her breathing as steady as if she were walking.


    "Use your Spark, Sir." she said. "Imbue it into the muscles in your legs, first." I did, finding the warmth of my Spark. I guided the warmth down into my legs where it sat, doing nothing. Imbue it into your muscles, she''d said. I focused, pushing the warmth into my muscles. It sank in with ease, like it was something I had been doing for years. A grin split my face as I felt everything click into place.


    "Oh, so that''s what y''all were talking about." I said. My breathing was still heavy, but nowhere near as heavy as it was just yesterday.


    "Well done, Sir. I didn''t expect you to learn so quickly." I laughed, leaning into the run.


    "It feels like I''ve been doing it for years. And if it works for the legs..." I took some of the power from my Spark and gathered it near my burning lungs. I focused and eased the power into them, not wanting to cause any damage to the important organs. I felt my lungs warm and soothe, my Spark slowing my breathing to a manageable rate. I grinned, ready to go full bore, and then I collapsed, the world going dark.


    I woke in darkness, a pale beam of moonlight shinning in through the window. My chest ached and my legs felt like jelly, sending pain into my brain with every breath. The world was quiet, the only sounds being the people breathing in the room. Rosie snored softly at the foot of the bed and Lia lay with her head on my shoulder and hand over my heart. I could feel one of her legs thrown over mine and sighed, sinking back into the rough mattress. Damn, this things sucks. Note to self: Get a good mattress. I rolled onto my side, throwing an arm over Lia and pulling her into me, closing my eyes and slipping back into sleep.


    The morning broke, sending a ray of sunlight directly into my eye. I groaned, stretching my arms above my head and shaking with effort. My body was sore from all the running I''ve been doing and my legs shook as they took my weight. The bed was empty, neither Lia or Rosie in the room with me. I picked up my clothes and frowned, getting a whiff of something terrible. I smelled the shirt in my hand and damn near gagged. Damn, that shit stinks. I put on my pants as they were the only pair I had and walked out of the room, dropping the shirt in the wash as I passed.


    "Hey, Lia." I called. "Wanna go shopping today? I need some more clothes, and I''m sure you do too." I came around the corner and froze. Lia was standing in front of the stove, a beam of sunlight directly on her. Her wine dark hair hung down her back in a glossy curtain, glittering in the early morning light and the smile she gave me when she looked over her shoulder shot me in the heart. She was wearing a torn, patched up dress whose original color I couldn''t tell. There were just too many different fabrics sewed onto it. I did look magnificent on her, though. It had spaghetti straps, I think they''re called, the small ones that go over the shoulders and crossed in the back. It cinched just under her breasts and left the rest of the fabric to flow as it pleased, coming down to just above her mid thigh.


    "Yes, Sir, I do. I only have the two outfits; this one and my maid uniform. How do you feel?" I didn''t hear her at first, completely distracted by her beauty.


    "Huh? What? Oh, yeah. We''ll get some more today. And I''m alright. A little sore, but not too bad. Tired." My brain was struggling to operate and slow to start without my morning coffee. I yawned large and loud, blinking the stars from my eyes.


    "Own... the Chief stopped by about twenty minutes ago." Lia said, directing me to sit at the table. Unwilling to fight her, I obliged and sank into a chair.


    "Yeah? What''d he want?"


    "We hadn''t shown up at our usual meeting time and he got concerned, so he came to check on us. He gave us today off and instructed me to tell you that you are to REST and not to do anything stupid." I laughed.


    "Like that''ll stop me." Lia placed a plate of food in front of me and one in front of the seat on my right. She put a third on the ground and called for Rosie, who came in from the backyard. Again, I was slammed by a sense of normalcy. Today felt like a normal ass Saturday with nothing to do. I took a bite of the food and moaned, my eyes rolling into the back of my head. I devoured the four bites of egg and toast, and then it was gone. I looked at Lia.


    "Where''s the rest?" I asked.


    "The rest of what?"


    "The food."


    "That''s all there was. There''s a food shortage, remember? I''ve been stretching the food for as long as I could, but three mouths is a lot."


    "We''re out of food?!" I cried. Lia nodded.


    "Yes." Fuck. Guess today isn''t a day off.


    "Well, that ain''t gonna fly. You think those Steban are still around?" Lia considered, tilting her head to the right.


    "They should be. It''s still late spring, so they should be here for another two months or so. Then the herds will head North for the winter." I gave her a confused look.


    "North? Ain''t it supposed to be the further South you go, the warmer?" She shook her head no.


    "Not here. We are on the Southern tip of the Empire, about as far South as you can go. It gets warmer the further North you go."


    "I see. Good to know. That being said, Rosie, can you find us some Steban?" The wolf barked her agreement, a malicious look in her canid eyes. "Got some payback to give, huh?" She growled her assent and I nodded. "Excellent. Next, I need a weapon."


    "Why do you need a weapon?" Lia asked, though her voice sounded like she already knew the answer. I grinned, my inner child rearing his head once again as I completed one of his dreams.


    "We''re gonna hunt some dinosaurs."

 Chapter 7: Hunt

    Two hours later, I clutched the axe I had used to chop the tree in my hands, crouched in the bushes with Rosie on one side and Lia on the other. We were watching a herd of Steban graze in a clearing, minding their own business.


    "Didn''t Chief tell you not to do something exactly like this?" Lia hissed in my ear. I grinned at her and whispered back:


    "It''ll be fine. Look, see that big, fat one off by itself? Three o''clock." I pointed at the individual I had targeted, one that was about double the size of the Steban I had seen on Zerik''s table last week. "That''s our target. Lia, you used fire about a week ago. Can you do it again? And can you throw it?" She nodded. "Wonderful. When I engage, I want you to start throwing fireballs between it and the rest of the herd. Keep it separated. Can you do that?" She nodded again, setting herself against the world.


    "Yes, Sir. I won''t disappoint you." My grin widened into a smile.


    "Atta girl. Rosie, you''re going to be our secret weapon. I''ll keep the beast''s attention and you go for the kill when you get a chance, okay?" The wolf nodded her head like a human, her sky blue eyes locking onto mine. I smiled and pet her, pushing past the weirdness of this world. "Good girl. Okay, y''all ready to do this?" Both Lia and Rosie nodded. "Alright. Ready, break." I didn''t clap my hands for fear of alerting our prey, but I placed them lightly in each other, still completing the ritual. Rosie slunk off into the darkness on silent paws, her dark coat disappearing into the jungle with ease. I looked at Lia, who was looking at me with wide eyes. A ring of fire encircled a forest of concern, burning bright and holding me in place. On impulse, I pulled her into me and kissed her softly, pushing her away before it could go too far. "See you on the other side."


    I crept through the jungle, axe in hand, placing each foot as carefully as I could and staying low. It was actually really difficult to do and I had a greater appreciation for every time I bitched at a video game for being seen. Crouch walking is hard. Regardless, I made it to the other side of the clearing without any difficulty. The creature was right in front of me, no more than twenty yards away. It grazed on the ground, its beak pushing the soil away as it searched for whatever it ate. Now that I was closer, I could see a six-inch-long spike on the creature''s chin that it used to dig up the earth. I thought it was an herbivore, but maybe it prefers roots? I wonder what its favorite food is. I shook myself from my thoughts. I can''t get distracted, not now. Distraction means death. I remembered Lia''s words; Imbue your Spark into your muscles. I summoned my Spark, feeling the warmth and power at my disposal and injected it into the muscles in my arms and hands, feeling the warmth all throughout the limbs. I grinned and stood, walking from the tree line. The Steban, clearly not caring about a thing, ignored me and continued to eat. Huh. I moved a little closer, every nerve on edge.


    The Steban glanced up at me, its purple eyes looking into mine. The head was damn near at my head height, only being about six or so inches shorter. Clearly, this beast was too big to be worried about me. Good. I grinned and readied my axe when I caught movement from the corner of my eye. Acting on instinct, I hit the deck, dropping to the ground as the Steban''s tail woosh''ed over my head. I felt my hair move as the tail whipped over me. I rolled to the side, springing to my feet in a ready position, only to hit the deck again as the tail made another pass. Thank you, Coach, for all those stupid ass up-down''s you made us do, I thought as I popped back up, a grin on my face. My blood pounded in my ears like it did during bowl games when everything was on the line. My smile widened. This was the feeling I lived for. The Steban had turned its flank to me, spiked tail whipping back and forth in the air in anticipation. The plates on its back got redder and redder as I circled it slowly, searching for an opening. My opening came when a ball of fire launched from the edge of the trees and landed between my Steban and the herd. A loud FWOOSH! sounded as the fireball burst, spreading flames everywhere. Nothing caught, the jungle being far too wet for such a short lived flame to burn anything, but it did distract the creature long enough for me to move in. The herd, startled by the sudden fireball, honked at each other and fled the clearing, making all kinds of noise and leaving the three of us alone with the beast. Excellent.


    I rushed in as the beast was distracted by the fireball, seizing the opportunity and bringing the axe down on its neck in a vicious chop. I made contact, the axe driving deep into the back of the Steban''s neck. It honked in distress and swung its tail madly, trying to hit me but I danced away, pulling my axe free. Blood flowed freely from the wound and the Steban glared at me, like it knew I was the one who attacked it.


    "Sorry, friend," I said, dodging another wild tail attack. "but we gotta eat, too." The Steban, entirely focused on me, didn''t notice the black shape slinking towards it until it was too late. Rosie lunged and attacked the wound I had created earlier, sinking her fangs and claws into the beast''s exposed flesh and crashing into it. The creature roared, a sound of pain and despair as Rosie rode the creature to the ground, jaws locked around its neck and growling audibly. I could hear her from ten feet away. The Steban fell with a thunderous crash that shook the earth, blood seeping from its neck. Its feet spasmed as the creature struggled to rise but lacked the proper equipment to do so, what with its spinal cord having been crushed by Rosie''s jaws. The light began to fade from the Steban''s purple eyes as I approached, axe held at my side. It wasn''t the first creature I had hunted for food, but this felt more intimate than shooting a deer with a rifle. I knelt, placing my hand on the Steban''s head.


    "Thank you for your sacrifice." I whispered to it, petting the creature. "May you rest in peace." The Steban closed its eyes and I felt the life leave its body, my heart strings aching for the creature. I stood and wiped my eyes dry. When had I started crying? "Alright." I said to no one in particular and looking around for Lia, who was approaching me from the tree line. I smiled at her and she returned it shyly. "You did perfectly." I told her when she got close enough. "Exactly like we drew it up." Her smile got a little brighter at my words.


    "Thank you, Sir."


    "Here." I said, handing her the axe. She took it, confusion on her face.


    "Sir?"


    "I need both hands to carry this fucker." I said, grunting as I imbued my arms with my Spark. I lifted one of the Steban''s legs and twisted, heaving the massive beast onto my back and letting the head fall in front of me. "Alright, let''s get going." I started to walk, the Steban surprisingly moveable. I had expected it to be like moving literal dead weight, but the corpse was almost light. I was able to keep a solid pace as we returned to the village, my Spark strong and focused. Each breath I took fueled the flames a little more, filling me with strength. I felt incredible, like I could do anything. The Steban''s weight actually decreased as we got closer to the village and by the time the walls came into view, I was walking like normal. Had my shoulders been broad enough, I would have carried the beast on one of them alone. Figures moved around on top of the walls, pointing and shouting. I couldn''t quite hear what they were saying, but the message was made pretty clear when an arrow landed at my feet.


    "Hey!''" I shouted. "What the fuck?!" Another arrow landed at my feet. Ah, shit. "Lia, get behind me. You too, Rosie." The girls obeyed without complaint, hiding between me and the Steban''s body. We walked like that, using the Steban''s body for cover as the guards shot arrows at us. At least they get good target practice. When the walls were within touching distance, I stopped moving.


    "You assholes done shooting at me?!" I called up at the wall. The gate opened in response and a green skirt walked out and stood in front of me.


    "And what in all the gods names is that?" Kiltont asked. I grinned and tossed the Steban aside like it was nothing, the creature landing a solid twenty feet away. I looked at it with a surprised, yet satisfied look on my face.


    "That was cool."


    "Marshall." Kiltont snapped. I looked over at the bird man, his avian eyes serious. He had his hands held behind his back and a feeling of unease settled about my soul. My smile dimmed just a little and I stood straighter.


    "Yes, sir?" I asked, all levity gone from my voice.


    "What. Is that?"


    "A Steban, sir. Lia said we ran out of food this morning and I need to eat, so I went and got us some. Should I go get some more?" Kiltont''s face went through a myriad of emotions as I talked, ranging from anger to disbelief to begrudging acceptance.


    "Of course you would." he said with a sigh. "I specifically told you not to do anything today. Did you use your Spark?" I nodded.


    "Yes, sir. Been using it for the last few hours or so and haven''t had any problems. In fact, I think it''s grown." That got a reaction out of him.


    "Grown? Even after passing out from over exertion yesterday?"


    "Um, yeah? Is that a bad thing? I feel fine. Fantastic, even. The Steban got lighter the longer I carried it." I walked over to the corpse and lifted it with ease, my Spark still flowing through my body. I could feel it, surging in and out as I breathed. The warmth was concentrated in my arms, but I could feel little tendrils of it reaching out from my core. They didn''t go far, but they were there. "Should we take this to Zerik? I''m kind of hungry. Didn''t have enough to eat this morning." Kiltont scoffed and shook his head, turning back towards the village.


    "I knew you''d eventually surpass me, but to think you''d be fully recovered from Spark Drain in under twenty-four hours is remarkable. Come, follow me." He walked away and I followed, the Steban barely a factor. We walked through the village, drawing a crowd of on-lookers. People talked in hushed whispers, but what about, I couldn''t tell. It wasn''t long before we came to Zerik''s warehouse and Kiltont came to a stop, turning to face the crowd. Rosie stood on my right and Lia on my left.


    "Everyone!" Kiltont called, his voice echoing over the crowd and hushing the murmurs. "As I''m sure you are aware, our village has had a new resident for the last few days. His name Marshall and he is here to help. He and his Cave Wolf familiar, Lady Rosie, have brought us all a gift and ensured our survival for the next few days. Let us thank them." Everyone present, including the Chief, bowed at the waist to me and Rosie. I dropped the Steban, smiling at the folks and rubbing the back of my head.


    "Naw, y''all ain''t gotta thank me, I just wanted more of her stew." I hooked my thumb at Lia, who paled, then blushed as my words registered. She looked at the ground, dropping her eyes from mine. "And Rosie wanted revenge, so it all worked out." I chuckled and Kiltont rose back to full height.


    "You still took down a full grown Steban with no training and what could graciously be called a team. That is a feat not many can accomplish."


    "Well, damn. Really? ''Cause it really wasn''t all that hard. Separate the one you want then distract it while another attacks from the blind spot. Simple enough." Kiltont scoffed.


    "Of course you''d say something like that. Come, bring the Steban. ''Simple enough''." he grumbled as he walked into the warehouse. I followed, a small smile on my face. The slaughterhouse was exactly as I had left it, dusty and cold. Zerik came out from the back room, wiping his hands on his apron and grinning like a madman and missing several teeth.


    "Finally!" the big man cried as I walked past him to the butchering room. "I haven''t had anything to work on in days! Anywhere is fine." I placed the Steban on four tables put together, rolling my neck as I let the weight go. It wasn''t heavy, but it sure was awkward.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Mr. Zerik," I asked as the big man got to work draining what blood remained. "may I watch?" He cast a confused, assessing look at me.


    "Why?" he asked in return, voice full of suspicion.


    "I''m a Biologist. I want to learn all I can about these creatures." Zerik''s normally stoic or pissed-looking face split into a grin.


    "I like you. The monsters are fascinating, aren''t they?" I nodded enthusiastically.


    "Yes!" I pulled my notebook from my pocket, clicking the pen and opening to a new page. I began drawing as best I could, copying the Steban''s form onto the page. When I had finished the admittedly not great outline, the page shone a brilliant gold and when it had faded, left a picture perfect Steban on the page. I grinned. Hell yeah.


    I spent the rest of the day with Zerik, learning all I could about the Steban while Lia went back to the house to finish some chores. The one I had killed, a mature male, was towards the upper limit for the species, weighing in at a respectable four and a half tons, but not the largest one Zerik had ever seen. My eyes went wide when that particular bit of information came up, but I kept my reaction fairly contained, at least I hope. I just dead lifted over eight thousand fucking pounds! The monsters were "medium-sized Steginmari", the genus the species belonged to. The Steban were, indeed, herbivorous, as we found that the monster had swallowed a series of stones it stashed in a separate stomach to aid in digesting plant matter. The plates on its back served no purpose, but it is thought that they are a sexual display organ. Those with the brightest plates were the most desirable.


    "The plates also seem to be a defense mechanism, as well." I said, jotting the information down in my notebook. "This one''s plates grew redder as we fought."


    "Hmm. Good to know." Zerik replied, reaching into the body cavity and pulling some organs free with a squish. He made a face of disgust and tossed the innards into a wooden barrel next to the table, continuing his lecture. The Steban have no elemental affinities, yet make up for it in numbers. They are by far the most common monster in Andesis, appearing in almost every part of the county, and are valued for their tail spikes, which make wonderful weapons, though they tend to break easily against sufficiently armored opponents. The Steban''s eyes, which are apparently a critical ingredient for an aphrodisiac, are also highly sought after. I copied all this information down in my notebook, which divided itself into four sections upon completion of the entry. The sections were as follows: Quests, Map, Monsters, and Inventory. The hell is Inventory? I flipped over to it and gasped. The page held a 10x10 box grid, two of which were occupied. The box containing the pouch was a solid white while the box containing the notebook and pen was greyed out. Seems like the pen and pad are considered one item. I laughed aloud, flipping the book closed and returning it to my pocket.


    Zerik chopped off one of the spikes and gave it to me, along with the one I had left with him last time. He told me to go visit Ol'' Zerok down at the smithy, and to tell him Zerik said hello. I told the big man that I would and took my leave of him. The sun was just beginning to set when I exited the slaughterhouse and I held my hand up to block the glare, admiring the burning clouds. An idea sprouting in my mind, I turned and raced back home with Rosie by my side, as always. Such a good girl. I didn''t use my Spark this time, letting the power rest. I wanted to, but something told me it wasn''t the best idea, that maybe I should listen for once and take things easy. I still pushed myself, though, and made it home in just over five minutes. I leapt up the stairs and burst through the front door, crying:


    "Lia!" I moved further into the house, again shouting "Lia! Where are you?" The girl came flying around the corner, apron half covered in flour and face wild with fear.


    "Yes? Are you alright, Owner? How can I serve you?" Her face dropped into a scowl that disappeared just as quickly and I grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the door.


    "Come on! The sun is setting and we won''t make it in time if we don''t hurry!"


    "Wait! Sir, please, the dough is almost ready and... WAAAAH!" I, of course, ignored her pleads and picked her up, tossing her over my shoulder. The girl weighed nothing and had no chance of fighting back. I walked out the door and down the street towards the gate, the sun getting lower, and I picked up my pace. Pretty soon, I was full on running towards the ocean, my eyes locked on the sun. Lia had given up trying to escape and rode on my shoulder, occasionally asking for adjustments to get more comfortable. We arrived at the top of a sand dune right as the sun touched the water. I smiled, breathing deep of the sea air and setting Lia down next to me. She shook herself loose and sat with me, staring out at the water.


    The sun met the ocean in a wet flame, spreading across the water. Waves disrupted the image of the sun, shifting and cutting bits from the main body. Clouds turned from orange to pink as we watched, the water taking on a rosy color. The sound of the waves cresting against the sand and gulls crying from somewhere close by comforted me, my smile growing. I looked over at Lia and all thoughts of the watching the sunset dissipated. The pink light set against her skin beautifully, turning her into a caramel rose. Her wine dark hair sparkled in the light, throwing pink sparks as the wind whipped her hair. She was magnificent.


    After the sun had set and we returned to the house, Lia continued to make supper. Zerik had delivered ten pounds of differing meats to us while we were gone, with a note saying that everyone in the village would eat their fill tonight because of us. Lia, as per request, made a delicious Steban stew that was hearty and filling. I had six bowls before finally being full, eating almost the entire pot by myself. Once the table had been cleared and the doors locked, Lia and I moved back to the bed. I let out a yawn as I got closer to the bed, the days events finally catching up with me. I had used a lot of energy, when I thought about it. That Steban weighed four tons according to Zerik, and I was able to toss it around like a paper bag. Granted, so did he, but hey, that''s something, right? Deciding to test something, I whispered:


    "How strong am I?"


    "Error." Robot Lady said. I sighed. Figures. The shower I took that night felt incredible, though. Washing off the day''s dirt and grime before climbing into bed was one of my favorite things, especially after a big game. And while I wasn''t as wiped after, say, a bowl game, I certainly felt drained. Is this the Spark Drain Kiltont was talking about earlier? I flopped onto the bed, my eyes closing almost immediately. Lia snuggled into me, resting her head on my shoulder and her feet on Rosie''s back.


    "Good night, Sir." she mumbled, kissing my neck.


    "Good night, Lia." I whispered back, kissing her on the head.


    Everything hurt when I woke the next morning. The only part of me that didn''t hurt was my head, thank God. Everything else, though, felt like it had been smashed by a semi-truck and dragged behind it for three miles. It was early, so early that the sun hadn''t even started rising. The light from the moon and stars filtered in through the small window and gave me enough light to see by. I groaned as I shifted, getting more comfortable. My abs screamed when I lifted my torso and flipped the pillow, Rosie adjusting as well. Lia sighed as I settled, shifting closer to me in her sleep. Small hands grasped at the pillow, clenching and unclenching repeatedly. I raised my own hand and held one of hers, feeling it grab onto mine like a vice. Damn, she''s strong. I winced as she crushed my hand, but didn''t really mind. It was still soft and comforting in my own. I closed my eyes but didn''t fall back asleep; I kept replaying Zerik''s butchering over and over instead. It was fascinating watching a master at work. His large hands kept the body still, yet moved so gently as he brought the knife up its gut, opening the skin. A grin split across my face and I buried it in Lia''s hair, inhaling deeply of tropical flowers. I have to learn more, and to do that, I need to get out of here. The next few hours passed leisurely, with me simply lying there and holding Lia, content. Rosie was a reactor of warmth at our feet, warming us from the bottom up. She snored softly in her sleep and a paw would occasionally twitch.


    The sun rose, as it always does, the first beams of dawnlight falling onto Lia''s peaceful face. Her eyelids fluttered as she woke, coming back to consciousness. I stroked the side of her head with my thumb, enjoying the feeling of her hair. Her fantastic eyes opened, emerald irises burning. Pencil thin lips formed into a smile as she focused on me.


    "Good morning." she said, her smile growing a little.


    "Good morning." I replied, kissing her on the nose. She was beautiful and I couldn''t tear my eyes from hers. She blushed and looked away, her eyes flitting back to mine and away again. I still had my hand on her head and unconsciously pulled her closer, slowly, haltingly. She closed her eyes and parted her lips, and Rosie flopped between us. I laughed and pet the wolf, kissing her head.


    "Alright, you get some lovin'' too." I said, running my hand up and down her flank. She panted happily as Lia joined in, doing the same on the other side.


    A while later, we were having a breakfast of meat as we had run out of eggs. Damn, this food shortage sucks. There was bread, too, as we still had wheat and other grains, but little else that was edible. There was a knock at the door and Rosie barked, rushing to the door. I laughed, the wolf acting exactly like a dog from home, jumping at the door and barking loudly.


    "I hear ya, Rosie!" I hollered over her barking, petting her flank as I walked by and opened the door to Kiltont''s face.


    "Good morning, Marshall." he said with far too much energy for the sun not even being fully above the houses. I covered a yawn with the back of my hand and Kiltont grinned. "Did you finally hit your limit?" I nodded, gesturing for him to come in. I was still eating, after all.


    "Yeah, I''m takin'' today off. Zerik wanted me to go see Zer...ak? Zeruk? Somethin'' like that. Somebody with a ''Z'' down at the smithy, and I''m gonna go visit them a little later this mornin''." Kiltont laughed as I sat back down at the table, pulling one of the seats for himself. Rosie sat next to Lia and the girl pet her, taking small bites of her food. "So, what''s up, bro? Why the house call?"


    "I have come with wonderful news!" the Chief cried, a huge smile on his face. "The Caravan is coming!" My eyes went wide.


    "No shit? That''s awesome, dude. When''s it supposed to get here?"


    "It should arrive mid-morning tomorrow." I smiled at the bird man''s obvious joy and placed a hand on his shoulder.


    "I''m happy for you, man. I know that''s a huge weight off your back."


    "There is more. When I sent word to the Lord, I asked him to prepare two additional spots for the return trip." I frowned, tilting my head.


    "Two spots? Did you..." He nodded, his smile never diminishing.


    "Yes! It would be selfish of me to keep you here when you can be so much more. Even before you killed the Steban alone, I knew you were special. You can''t stay here."


    "I wasn''t alone. Lia and Rosie were with me. Rosie landed the killing blow, so it wasn''t even me that killed it."


    "That doesn''t matter. The townsfolk saw you carrying a full grown Steban like it was nothing, something they could only do in their wildest dreams. All the guards could talk about was how shocked they were when the Steban the couldn''t kill was tossed aside like a broken toy. Word will eventually spread of you. You won''t have much time, but if you can get to the Guild in Lingholm before the Empire finds you, you should be safe. The Guild isn''t attached to any one country, but is its own entity, operating all over the world."


    "The Hunter''s Guild?" Kiltont nodded.


    "Okay. The Hunter''s Guild in Lingholm is our goal, then."


    "Error." Robot Lady said. "Check Journal." I frowned. That was the first time she''s said anything other than ''Error''. Deciding to follow the advice, I pulled out my notebook and opened it. There, on the the first page and under the bolded word Quests, was a line of text.


    Get to the Hunter''s Guild in Lingholm.


    Huh. That''s neat.


    "Marshall?" Kiltont was saying. I looked up, shaking my head clear.


    "Huh? What? Sorry, was confirming something." Kiltont rose from his seat and said:


    "That is all I had to share with you this morning. I wish I had more time to train you, but such is life." He turned to leave, but I called after him.


    "Hey, y''all gonna be okay? We still haven''t solved the food crisis." Kiltont smiled at me, a sad smile, one that was tired and beaten down.


    "We will be fine, Marshall. Your concern is appreciated, but Rivera has come back from worse. She will survive." His voice was sure and strong, and I actually believed him for a second. I rose from my seat and hugged the bird man tightly.


    "Thank you, Kiltont." I said, patting him on the back twice. "For everything. I have one more request, if you don''t mind."


    "And what is that?"


    "The day I arrived, I passed two families out in the fields." Kiltont''s face fell and he looked at the ground.


    "Yes. The Robin''s and the Greti''s were good people. They did not deserve their fate."


    "No. Nor do they deserve to hang there like that. Will you help me bury them?" Kiltont nodded, setting his jaw.


    "I will. We will see to it after you attend Zerok at the smithy. I am sure you have something he wants to see. I will be at Maria''s for the majority of the day; come fetch me when you are finished with the smith. I nodded.


    "Yes, sir." Kiltont nodded and left as Lia began to clear the table. I assisted her, doing the dishes in half the time, and we left for the smithy, one spike in either hand. I fought the urge to swing them around and make lightsaber noises, failing miserably.


    "What are you doing, Sir?" Lia asked in a voice full of disappoointment.


    "Being silly. Hey, since we''re actually doing this, do you want a weapon? I was gonna ask Zerok to make us both one, but I wanted to check with you first." Lia''s face went through some emotions I couldn''t read before settling on thoughtful expression, thin brow narrowed in focus.


    "I was best with knives and daggers when I was training. You seem like a Bulwark, though. We should consider material size too..." She trailed off into her thoughts as we walked South, heading towards Zerik''s warehouse. Zerok had his smithy a little further down the street than Zerik did, and I played with their names in my head. Zerik, Zerok. Is there a Zeruk? Are they related?


    Ten minutes later, I knocked on a wooden door. Lia said that the old, dilapidated sign above the door said smithy, but I couldn''t tell you. The writing was too faded to make out much, but what I could see looked like it was full of swirls and dots, not dissimilar to Arabic from Earth. Nobody answered my knock, so I knocked again after thirty or forty seconds. I heard a crash from inside the building and gave Lia a glance. Trying the doorknob, it twisted with ease and creaked open, leading into the dark interior. Shrugging, I walked inside.

 Chapter 8: Deptarture

    The inside of the, let''s say rustic, building was just as shoddy as the outside. It was dark and dank and I could feel the rotten wood settling on my tongue. A look of disgust overcame my face and I grunted.


    "Ugh!" Waving my hand in front of my face to clear whatever the fuck was in here, my eyes started to adjust to the dim light and more features came into focus. I saw a large metal structure take shape, with an anvil and hammer in front of it. Bellows stood beside the forge, dark and dormant. The whole place gave off a weird vibe.


    "Hello?" I called into the darkness. "Mr. Zerok?" A light ignited somewhere in the smithy, a glow coming from down the hall.


    "Who wants to know?" an oily voice whispered from behind me. I whirled in surprise and Lia leapt away. Rosie growled, the hair on the back of her neck rising. A man who looked exactly like Zerik stood behind us, with muscles equally as large as the butcher''s. The voice did not at all match his looks when he spoke. "How did you get in here?" he asked, narrowing his yellow eyes. I felt like I was being watched by a snake getting ready to strike. Settling my nerves, I stood strong.


    "I am Marshall, sir. The door was open when I tried it. Mr. Zerik at the Butchery told me to come see you, said you might be interested in these." I showed the two Steban spikes to the large man, whose eyes gleamed with glee when he saw them. In a flash, his hand snaked out and snapped them from mine, holding the spikes up towards the open door, gazing at them lovingly.


    "So perfect..." he muttered, stroking one of the spikes like one would a child. This guy''s creepy. I moved a little closer to Lia and Rosie, getting strange vibes from the man. He turned his gaze on me, slinking up in a very non large man way. He flowed like water, not the hulking brute of a blacksmith he looked like. "Where did you get these?" he hissed.


    "I collected them." I said, still fighting to keep my nerve. It got a little harder as the man''s serpentine eyes looked me up and down.


    "You collected them?" His eyes widened in recognition. "Ah, yessss. I know you. The ''Hunter''." He put extra emphasis on the word, spitting it like an insult and turned away from me. "You killed the Steban?"


    "The three of us, yes, sir." I replied, following him with my eyes. I stayed where I was, poised to react should the strange man do anything.


    "Hmmm. Not you? Killing an adult Steban without being a trained Hunter is no small feat."


    "It took all three of us. I couldn''t have done it without them." He harrumph''ed.


    "I see. You will form a team with them?" I nodded.


    "They are my friends. I will adventure with them and if that means we''re a Team, then yeah." The smith smirked, igniting the forge with a flick of his wrist. Flames leapt from his hand into the mouth of the forge, catching instantly. The flames flickered in his yellow, intense eyes, licking at the pupils.


    "Good." He turned back to the forge, waving a meaty hand over his shoulder. "You may leave now. I will bring them when they are done."


    "But we didn''t tell you what we want." I said bluntly. The man was throwing off my whole demeanor.


    "Doesn''t matter. The bone will tell me. You may leave." The last phrase was clearly a warning not to push him any further. I nodded and ushered Lia and Rosie out of the smithy as the man worked the bellows, yelling for something or someone, I couldn''t tell.


    "Come on." I whispered. "Let''s get out of here." Lia nodded and we slipped out the rotting door. I stretched as the bright morning sunlight burned off the funk that place left on me. We had walked a little further down the road when I told Lia: "That dude was creepy as shit."


    "He was certainly strange. No stranger than you, though." I gave the girl an offended look and she turned her nose up. "Don''t tell me it isn''t true, Mr. I-can-summon-notebooks." I chuckled.


    "You have a point, I suppose. A different kind of strange, but strange nonetheless."


    I met with Kiltont about an hour later. The Macawian was sober, a sorrowful, beaten look about him. Again, he showed his age, dark lines around his avian eyes. He looked up as I approached, a sad smile forming on his face and he pet Rosie on the head.


    "Marshall." he said. "Did you see Zerok?"


    "Yeah. He''s a strange one." The Chief chuckled.


    "That he is. Come, let us waste no time." He turned and lead me out of the village, towards the burnt farms on the horizon. The skeletons of the houses stood alone, black against the lush green of the jungle behind them. We were silent as we walked out to the farms, neither of us wanting to speak. When we got the first house, I had to take a deep, cleansing breath. The skeletons hadn''t changed much over the week, other than loosing what little meat that had been on their bones. I stared into the darkened, empty eye sockets of a small skull, rage flickering at my heart. Just below it, though, hung a sadness I couldn''t name. I touched it, curious more than anything, and it sucked me in, dragging me down into its darkness. My world went dark and the eyes consumed me, filling my thoughts with a half-forgotten pain, vaguely aware of my body growing hotter. I was aware of us moving, digging their graves, but the movements didn''t hold any consciousness behind them. I was elsewhere, a world of fire and pain.


    It was hard work and my back hurt two hours in, but I kept pushing. Remembering Lia''s advice, I imbued my Spark into the muscles in my arms and abdomen, but only slightly. Not enough to ease the work, but enough so that I could keep going. I wanted this to hurt; I wanted to feel it. My shovel dug through the dirt with no resistance and we finished the first pair of graves within the fourth hour. I tossed my shovel onto the ground and heaved myself out of the grave, grunting as I rose to my feet. Kiltont had finished his and was working on a third, so I followed suit with a fourth. We worked on the fifth together.


    After the graves had been dug came the hard part. The skeletons had been picked clean of most of their flesh, with only little strips remaining in the hard to reach places, the joints and the like. The skeletons fell apart when we tried to move them. They''d been hanging together somehow, but the moment we touched the bones or the wooden spikes they were impaled on, the bones detached from each other, falling into a heap on the ground with a sound that will haunt me forever. It was hollow, clear, and devastating. A part of me died when the children fell. Their bones were so small that I could hold the majority of them in my hand. I felt my lips curl into a snarl so deep it hurt as I stared at the small skull in my hand. It was blackened and charred, and as I laid it in its grave, I could have sworn it smiled at me, and not a pleasant smile, either. One of hate and sorrow, pain and loss.


    You failed her. it laughed. It was your fault she went to him.


    I screamed as I covered the bones. A feeling of numbness settled over me halfway through burying the first family and didn''t leave. It gripped my soul and stayed there, forcing me to see my hand, the children, smiling Jen, laughing Lia, hurt Rosie. Tears fell from my eyes, but that was okay. I wanted them to come, to cry. I wanted to hurt.


    Thank God Rosie was with me. When we finished burying the bones, the wolf whined and stood on her hind legs with paws on my shoulders, licking my face. I pet her softly, grateful to have such a loyal companion.


    "Love you, Rosie." I whispered as I hugged the canine. She barked and licked me more.


    The second family was just as rough as the first. This time, we knew what to expect, so digging the graves only took half as long. We didn''t need to dig a full grave when the bones couldn''t hold their shape. Taking the bones down off the spikes was just as difficult, though. It didn''t get any easier, watching as a child''s legs and hips fall away from the rest of their body.


    The last tear fell on the child''s grave as I patted the dirt flat. The houses still stood, but the people had been laid to rest. I stared at one of the houses, I didn''t know which, completely numb to the world. Kiltont stood next to me, equally mute. It felt wrong to speak as we payed our last respects to the families, marking the graves with the white rocks someone brought out to us. We turned back to the village and began to walk; Rosie bounding ahead of us, sniffing at some things and growling or snapping at others. I watched her detachedly, barely keeping my feet moving.


    "I failed them." Kiltont said when we were about half way back to the village. He kept looking straight ahead. "I should have kept them safe."


    "It''s not your fault." I answered, trying to comfort the man and knowing my words were useless.


    "I should have called them in sooner, taken the warnings seriously."


    "The past is the past." I said, mainly to myself. Jen''s hand accepting the ring appeared in my mind. "It cannot be changed. All we can do is learn and be better." Kiltont scoffed.


    "Just you wait, boy. Sunshine and Regret are the only guarantees in life." I chuckled.


    "I was always taught ''Death and Taxes''." Kiltont nodded, chuckling as well.


    "I suppose those as well."


    Lia and Marin were waiting for us when we got back. The two women kept casting glares at each other when they thought the other wasn''t looking and when they did make eye contact, their faces formed into scowls and they looked away, arms crossed.


    "Oh, no." Kiltont sighed, taking a deep breath.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Those two are at it again. Marin has always hated Miss Ameilia for reasons unknown to me. The girl was good to us, better than we deserved seeing how we treated her. Thank you for freeing her."


    "I didn''t like that she was ''Owned'' in the first place. Slavery doesn''t fly where I come from. Want me to just keep walking and head home?" I asked as the gate raised. Kiltont considered for half a second.


    "Honestly, yes. It would be best if the two saw each other as little as possible until you leave."


    "Yes, sir." I stopped underneath the gate, before we got to the girls. They stared at us as I clasped the Chief in a hug. "Thank you, Kiltont. For everything. You''ve been a great host and an even better friend." I smiled at the bird man, pulling away from him. He nodded, avian eyes tearing up a little.


    "As you have for me, Marshall. It has been a long while since someone talked to me as equals." I smiled and pat the man on the shoulder.


    "I''ll see you tomorrow, then. For the caravan." The chief nodded.


    "Tomorrow. Good day, Marshall." We separated and walked to our respective waiters, greeting them. I didn''t stop, whereas Kiltont wrapped his wife in a hug. I simply picked Lia up and continued on my way. She didn''t complain; much, at least. She kept griping that my shoulder was digging into her waist, so I sighed and transferred her into a princess carry, making my way back to the house as memories pricked at my mind. A scowl formed when I heard Harper call me ''Brother'' in the huddle.


    We ate in silence that evening. I couldn''t taste the food and wasn''t all that hungry, but I knew I needed the calories, and, as much as I didn''t want to, as soon as I took a bite of Lia''s cooking, I felt a spark of life reenter me. I was still numb, but the emeralds looking back at me were a little brighter than they had been at the gate. Rosie shared none of my emotional drainage and she scarfed her food down with averous glee. I gave her the rest of mine, which she also devoured with joy, drawing a small smile from me. Such a good girl.


    That night wasn''t as difficult as I thought it was going to be. It still sucked, though. I kept expecting to see the bones when I closed my eyes, but I didn''t. Not all the time, at least. The flashes of their charred skeletons being covered by dirt were interrupted by memories of Jen laughing, or singing while making breakfast, or smiling at me over the dinner table. Happy memories that put a smile on my face and were subsequently destroyed by the children laughing at me, mocking me. Over and over, the cycle repeated.


    Failure. the skulls would taunt, their smiles dancing against the dark ceiling. They were chased away by bright blue eyes that smiled at me from across the room. He''s going pro they''d laugh in her voice, only to be knocked aside by the feeling of her head on my shoulder as we watched a movie. The thoughts continued to whirl in circles, torturing me, until they were, all of them, banished as a golden warmth settled onto my chest, right at the shoulder. The skulls faded into the shadowed corners of the room and the memories of Jen burned away, her warmth being replaced by a new one that smelled of tropical flowers and chocolate, warm against my soul. I smiled as a soothing feeling spread from my core, moving up my body, following the hand that lead it to my heart. It pulsed comfortingly, driving away the loathsome thoughts, and my eyes came into focus.


    Wine red hair rested against my right shoulder, a golden arm crossing over it, the hand covering my heart. The sweet, tantalizing scent of flowers tickled my mind, exotic and enticing, and my arm tightened around her. The soft, warm skin gave just slightly as I drew her closer. I stroked her gently, enjoying her feeling. My mind was tired and my body exhausted. I yawned, eyelids heavy as whales, and slipped into sleep.


    The next morning was bright and cheerful, the world uncaring about my emotional state. Birds chirped from somewhere nearby, their lively and joyous sounds coming through the wooden walls. I sighed, watching the room grow lighter by the moment and wishing it wouldn''t. That the sun would just stop and leave me here, in bed with my wolf. Alone. Forever.


    But I wasn''t alone. Someone shifted next to me, the warm body snuggling closer to mine. A soft sigh rose from the girl and a feeling of disgust filled my brain. Why in God''s name am I in bed with her? She doesn''t love me, she''s just touched starved and emotionally stunted. I''m the first person to show her any affection; she deserves better than me. So why the fuck does she feel so good in my arms? I sighed, Lia''s flowery scent deepening my disgust. God, she smells amazing. Infinitely better than Jen did. Agh!


    I closed my eyes and tried to settle the war within. Of course, it didn''t work. All it did was make me feel fucking awful. And when the pair of soft, sweet lips met my own, that awful, terrible feeling swelled, even as the Spark within me ignited, reaching a new tentacle towards the faint warmth I could feel coming from Lia. My Spark swirled and spun, flinging light into the darkest parts of my soul and dispelling the depression. It was strange, feeling my Spark get warmer and my soul get happier as I kissed her. The two forces battled inside me, neither overcoming the other. Every time I would start to feel Lia against me, her lips on mine and my hand against her back, Despair countered, telling me that Jen was a better cook, had a cuter smile, her hand fit better in mine, her hair was softer.


    I pulled away from Lia, resting my forehead against hers and breathing deeply. Her wonderful scent coated my mind and massaged my soul, and Rosie made her own love known when she fell on top of me, panting heavily. She shoved her head between us and licked at my face, forcing me to lay back, laughing. Lia sighed and heaved Rosie''s weight onto my other side, then resumed snuggling into me. We laid like that for another twenty minutes until some kind of animal began to crow. The what I''m going to assume was a rooster crowed again, announcing the start of the day.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Breakfast went quickly and I tried to put yesterday out of my head. The sun is out and it is going to be an awesome day. I get a weapon! Lia kept trying to ask me about what happened out in the fields yesterday, but I brushed her off. I told her that I was fine, just unprepared for what I would find. She clearly didn''t believe me, but dropped the issue for now. My thoughts swam in circles, mirroring the untouched food on my plate. Jen isn''t here. This isn''t Earth. That Marshall Prescott is dead, so I need to move on. I will never see her again, and that''s okay. Jen''s mocking laughter sounded from the empty seat to my left and I ignored it. That''s not the real Jen. My Jen isn''t charred like a piece of wood left in the fireplace overnight and she has pearly white skin on her face, not that disgusting, maggot-rotted lie the thing in the seat is. Long, rotten brown hair swam in an unseen current about her head and those same dark, lifeless eyes from yesterday smiled at me. I shut my eyes tightly, hoping and praying the demon would leave. I opened them to an occupied seat, but not by the Demon.


    Rosie stood where the chair had been, whining softly. Her tail wagged slowly, leaning to the left. I wonder what that means? Her azure eyes looked into mine with concern and she moved closer, laying her head on my thigh. She sighed as I pet her head, the fur soft and comforting. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, settling my soul. I worked, if only slightly. I could still feel the sadness pulling at my mind, trying to bring me down to its level. Not today, bitch; today is Weapon Day.


    Kiltont met us outside the house. He stood in the middle of the street with his hands clasped behind his back and broke into a smile when he saw us.


    "Were you waiting for us?" I asked, just the slightest bit creeped out. Kiltont nodded enthusiastically. Okay, a little more creeped out.


    "Yes! Zerok finished your weapons late last night and brought them for me to give to you." I cocked my head.


    "Why you? He not want to do it himself?" Kiltont shrugged.


    "Most likely. He is not the biggest fan of sunlight, much prefers the light of the forge, or so he said." The Chief turned and gestured for us to follow him. "Come, they are inside." Unable to keep the grin from my face, I cast a glance at Lia, who was staring at the house with an unreadable expression. I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, smiling at the girl. She smiled back unconvincingly, grabbing hold of my hand as it dropped from her shoulder and following me into the house. Her hand gripped mine in a vice as we passed the threshold. Thank God Rosie is with us. Seems like we both need an emotional support animal.


    Kiltont led us to the dining room, where the table held a pair of blades. Both weapons appeared to be six inches in length and made of the Steban spike we had given over, but filed to an even finer point and polished. One side had also been notched, forming serrations into the bone that stopped halfway up. The rest of that side appeared to be for slicing, but it would take testing to really know. The handle was a rich, deep brown wood wrapped in leather. I whistled, the craftsman ship visible even to me who knew nothing about weapons.


    "And these are for us?" I asked, looking at Kiltont. He nodded.


    "Yes. Consider it a gift between friends." He picked up one of the blades and handed it to me, hilt first, and I wrapped my hand around the leather grip. When I lifted it, Robot Lady spoke for the first time in a few days.


    "Error." she said, causing me to jump. I glared at the sky and Lia laughed.


    "Robot Lady?" she asked knowingly. The English words sounded strange coming from the girl. Her voice sounded like a combination of Irish and Spanish, lilting and high, and it pierced my heart.


    "Yeah, fuckin'' bitch. Won''t give me anything useful!" I directed that last bit at the sky, looking up at the ceiling. A speck of dust fell from the ceiling and landed in my eye. "Agh, dammit!" I cried, wiping at my eye as Lia laughed harder. "Fine, I get it." I grumbled when my eye finally stopped itching. "I won''t bad mouth you anymore, O Kind and Gracious Robot Lady."


    "You two are going to make a strange team." Kiltont said, though his eyes held a smile.


    "I sure hope so." I said, grinning at Lia. "Where''s the fun in being normal?" She shrugged.


    "People looked at me strangely anyway. At least now they''ll have a good reason." She smirked at me and walked forward, taking one of the surprisingly plain scabbards from the table. She sheathed her blade and turned to Kiltont, holding it against her chest and bowing slightly.


    "Thank you, Chief Kiltont. Your gift is graciously received. Please pass my compliments to the craftsman."


    "Of course, Miss Ameilia. You are most welcome." Kiltont replied, bowing as well. They both stood straight and looked at each other awkwardly. I held out my hand towards Kiltont, looking him in the eyes. He took a moment to put his in mine and I smiled, shaking it.


    "Thank you, Kiltont. You really hooked us up, bro." His confused face just made my smile larger.


    Later that day, Kiltont, Marin, Lia, Rosie, and I stood at the Northern gate, waiting for the caravan to arrive. They were supposed to get here mid-morning but hadn''t yet arrived, and it was getting on to mid-afternoon. Kiltont had been pacing for the last hour back and forth in front of the gate. I was chillin'' like a villain in the shade of a palm tree with my wolf, vibing my ass off. The air was warm, the sun was bright, and I had nothing to do. No schoolwork, no exams, no practice, no lab. Nothing. A slow smile spread across my face as I watched the clouds pass, hands behind my head. Lia sat next to me, fidgeting with something in her hands and my wolf was napping next to me. Life is good.


    Then it wasn''t. As per fucking usual. Rosie''s head lifted right as one of the guards on the balustrades shouted:


    "I see them!" I sat up, my attention ripped from the sky to the ground and rose to my feet. Sure enough, I could see a plume of dust rising in the distance. It steadily got closer and closer until my Zoom vision kicked in and I could see two carts, I think? There could have been a third but it was covered by the dust cloud. Regardless of how many carts there were, they were being hounded by roughly dressed men riding some kind of four legged beast. The size was comparable to horses from home, but they were very clearly not horses. The creatures had hair, yes, but it was a bright red color. They also had manes of fire which was sick as fuck. As they got closer, I could see that the creatures were indeed very similar to horses. Their base physiology was the same, four legs, hooves, a mane, a square, elongated head. The caravan was also being pulled by the creatures, though one of the ones attached to the lead cart neighed--I couldn''t hear it but I could see the creature''s reaction with help from Zoom--and fell, crashing to the dirt and being trampled by the cart. The cart went head over ass as it hit the Fire Horse''s body and launched. Kiltont swore and raced out the gate, charging towards the caravan, Lia hot on his heels. I also swore and chased after them, imbuing my Spark into my legs and catching the speeding pair with ease. Rosie bounded along next to me, tongue lolling. The closer we got, the more I could hear.


    The first thing I heard was the screaming, both Fire Horse and human. Well, I guess I can''t say ''human'' anymore. People were screaming, both in fear and pain. My heart leapt into my throat when my vision latched onto the man riding shotgun in the second cart that had swerved to avoid the first. He was a pincushion with nearly a dozen arrows sticking out of his body. One was even in his eye and he slumped lifelessly on the bench. The men on the Fire Horses held bows and arrows and the occasional spear, hooting and hollering at the caravan. Kiltont growled and put on a burst of speed, drawing a sword form his hip. The metallic, silvery blade gleamed in the sunlight and I pulled my own blade from my Inventory. It fit perfectly in my hand and I swore I could feel a sort of excitement from it, as if it sensed the coming bloodshed. I saw Lia do the same, an unreadable look on her face. We were about five hundred yards out when the Fire Horse Riders noticed us.


    One of the riders closest to us saw us first. He didn''t get the chance to react as a blade sprouted from his chest and sent him toppling from the saddle. The horse, now riderless, raced off, dragging the corpse behind it by a foot still attached to a stirrup. I ignored the sight and focused on the Rider coming my direction. The Fire Horse was large, but no larger than a normal horse. It bared down on me, the rider holding a club high over his head and ready to brain me. I reacted, shooting to the right and avoiding the charging beast. The club swung harmlessly by my head, if only by a few inches. I gasped, adrenaline pumping, and turned at a horrible sound. There was a high, piercing scream that cut over the din of the battle. Far as I could tell, everyone stopped to watch as a Rider was knocked from his saddle by a four and a half foot tall, severely pissed off Cave Wolf. The man''s terrified scream was cut short as Rosie''s jaws clamped around his neck and chomped, spraying blood everywhere. She landed on his body, a sickening crunch following her paws slamming into his chest. A low, menacing growl rose from behind me and I whirled, expecting more danger. Instead, I found nothing. I turned back, but Rosie was gone. Another scream from behind me, and Rosie was standing in another corpse, lifting her bloody paws from his chest cavity. The Riders faltered, the Fire Horses balking at the sight of the wolf. Rosie''s azure eyes flashed a haunting, desolate blue and she vanished, appearing on another Fire Horse and toppling the Rider. A third scream was cut short and the Fire Horses danced, their nerves clear. The Riders struggled to hold them steady, but a loud, ferocious bark from Rosie sent them running. The Riders, the two that remained, were unable to control their mounts and were thrown, crashing to the earth. They struggled, but did rise.


    A sound came from behind me, like the ringing of a bell combined with a Klaxon Alarm. It surprised the hell out of me and I jumped, just barely avoiding Club Boy''s second swing as his Fire Horse thundered by. I felt a wave of heat come from the beast as it passed, but was immediately distracted by the weight landing on me. The man formerly known as Club Boy and from here on shall be referred to as FuckFace had jumped off of his horse and landed on me. Why, I don''t know. It did send me to the ground, his weight on top of me and a surprising number of blows landing in a short time. It didn''t really hurt, kind of like I was beating my chest before a heavy lift. It stung, but nothing I couldn''t handle. What really sucked was when he stabbed me with a blade. That hurt. I roared in pain and punched the man in the face. His head snapped back with a nasty crunch! and his eyes went hazy. His head wobbled and he reeled back, giving me enough room to get my hands up and my own dagger free. Without hesitation, I placed the sharp edge of the knife against the man''s throat and sliced deep and hard. My knife went further than I expected and I felt it SHUNK! into his spinal cord. I growled and fought through the resistance, severing the man''s head from his body. I screamed in surprise and disgust as the head fell onto my chest and the body collapsed onto the rest of me. A quick jab sent the head a good fifty yards away and I shoved the body off me, scrambling away yet unable to take my eyes from it.


    The corpse was wholly dissimilar from the bodies in the fields. Those were burnt, charred husks with no flesh or blood. This one was fresh, fleshed, and bloody. I was absolutely covered in FuckFace''s blood and it was all I could smell, the iron-y scent atrocious to my nose. I stared down the hole in his neck, blood pumping out and spreading over the dusty road, mixing with the dust and dirt, becoming a terrible, sickly mud. My mouth kept opening and closing as I stared at FuckFace''s corpse, unseeing. All I knew was the moment his head fell onto me, the sickening SNAP! of his spine being severed.


    Some time later--I don''t know how long--I became aware that the battle was over. I was still before FuckFace''s body, staring unseeingly. Silence had fallen over the carnage and the birds began to tweet again, the insects starting up their calls. The sounds of nature returned, bringing me a sort of comfort. Violence will end and life will continue on. The warm tide flowed in from my right; Rosie, padding up to me. Her muzzle and paws were blood-soaked and dirty, yet her azure eyes held nothing but love and concern, the feelings pouring off her in waves. I reached out and pet the top of her head softly, enjoying the feel of her fur under my hands. She laid down next to me, licking my free hand gently.


    Lia came up to me a little while later. I was still on the ground, numb to the world. I''d never killed a man before. Animals, yes, but decapitating a man is something else entirely. Especially when the man lands on top of you, the stump spurting blood all over your face. Lia sat down next to me, settling into the grass. We sat there quietly and I started to come back to reality. It started with recognizing that my butt was numb. I''d been sitting for almost two hours, and not in a comfortable position, just how I''d fallen. I slowly became aware of the ants in my legs, crawling up and down in a fairly painful way. It wasn''t agonizing, but it certainly wasn''t great.


    What was great was the arm that was wrapped around Lia. When did I start holding her? It didn''t really matter. All I cared about was her body heat seeping into me. It felt... different, though. Not like normal body heat that can sometimes get uncomfortable, Lia''s warmth was strong, soothing, and never warmer than I needed it to be. It stroked my raw emotions lovingly, telling me that it would all be okay. I leaned into the warmth, following it back to the girl. There was a barrier in the way, one that I smashed into headfirst. I pushed against it, but unlike the barrier with the journal, this one didn''t budge. It felt like I was trying to move a mountain, but I tried anyway. I threw everything I had into breaking through, but nothing.


    "Sir." a warm breeze whispered in my ear. "You need to stop. You''re not ready yet." The voice whispered again and I shivered. It felt like she was speaking directly into my head.


    "Ready for what?" I asked. My voice was horse and dry, not at all like hers.


    "Some Blessed are able to control their Spark outside of their body." Lia said. "It takes practice and skill, not brute strength. Push too hard and you''ll blow a hole in your body." The memory of the power exploding out of my hand flashed in my mind. Yeah, I can see how that would be bad.


    "Well, how do I get ready? I want to use my Spark outside my body."


    "With a whole lot training." a new, deeper voice said. I looked up to find Kiltont looking down at me. "First time taking a life?" I nodded.


    "Yeah. A man, at least. Killing animals to survive is one thing, but this..." I trailed off, staring into space. Kiltont crouched and put his hand on my shoulder, shaking me slightly.


    "Listen to me, Marshall. I''ll tell you what my father told me. ''If you are not strong enough to protect what you love, someone will take it from you.'' As you are now, can you keep Rosie safe? Can you protect Miss Ameilia? She is the last of her name and if you fail as her Guardian, the Freyolin''s die with you." Wow, thanks for the pressure, asshole. He did have a point, though. My life in America had made me soft, unaccustomed to Man''s violence. No one had ever tried to kill me, nor had I ever tried to kill anyone. Sure, I got robbed every now and then, but they were just as scared as I was. Those men initiated this attack. FuckFace would have killed me without a second thought. Why am I agonizing over him? I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the fresh, tropical air, and let it out slowly.


    "You''re right." I said, rising to my feet. Or trying to, at least. My legs didn''t really work and I fell back down when they took my weight. Ah, classic me, fucking it up, once again. "I need to be able to keep what I love safe." I did fully stand this time, hiding the pain as blood returned to my legs. Kiltont nodded, smiling at me.


    "Good. Taking a life is no easy feat. It affects me still, and I would fear you''d lost yourself if it didn''t."


    "It''s Us or Them."


    "Yes. We must fight to survive, against both man and nature." Kiltont stopped talking as a short, fat man waddled up to us. He wore a purple silk shirt with white frills on the neck and arms that barely covered his massive gut. The front of his pants was suspiciously dark compared to the lavender purple of the rest of the fabric and he dabbed at his forehead with a sweat-stained handkerchief. He shoved it into his pocket, huffing in the way fat people do after walking kind of fast but not fast enough to be considered jogging. His thinning brown hair was sweaty and matted to his pale skull. He looked like the stereotypical merchant from an anime. He glared at Kiltont, shoving a sausage-y finger in the bird-man''s face.


    "Damn you, Bird Brain! How dare you let my men get killed?!" My mouth dropped open at the man''s brazen tone and I glanced between him and Kiltont. Who the fuck is this asshole? "I should deduct my losses from your delivery."


    "Hey, fuck you, dickhead." I said, stepping forward. "He just saved your life. Show a little gratitude."


    "And who are you?" the merchant asked, looking up at me. The little shit barely came up to my pecs but that didn''t seem to matter to him. He glared up at me without noticing that I stood a foot taller and could lift him with one hand.


    "Ma..." I stopped. Did I really want this guy knowing my actual name? It might be better to play it safe. "My friends call me Tank."


    "I don''t care." he said, talking over me. "The names of you criminal scum don''t matter to someone like me." I grinned maliciously, stepping a little closer.


    "Then it''s a damn good thing I''m the guard you''re taking back." I towered over the merchant, glaring down at him. He shrank back a little, but quickly rose to the challenge.


    "You should ''show some gratitude'', boy. I didn''t have to come all the way out here to pick you up." I scowled, leaning closer and growling. The growl was echo''ed by Rosie who slunk up behind me, jaws open and waiting. The merchant paled. "Call off your dog, Jailer, before I have you whipped." I snarled, the man''s ungrateful attitude grating my nerves. Rosie echo''ed me again, jaws snapping with a pop. The merchant held his ground, looking down his nose at me while somehow still craning his neck back to make eye contact. My hand twitched, the desire to wring the life from his neck stronger than I''d ever felt before. I wanted to kill this man.


    "Of course, my Lord." Kiltont said, bowing to the Merchant. "Call off the canine, Guard." I turned my snarl on the Chief but the look in his eyes gave me pause. It was a pleading one, one that begged me to drop it. He looked scared.


    "Fine." I snarled, turning on my heel and marching back towards the town. "Come on, Rosie, Lia. We''re going to the beach."


    I was still in a mood when I kicked off my boots and walked into the ankle-deep water. It was warm and refreshing, a smile forming on my face as the water lapped at my feet. I took a deep, calming breath of the salty sea air, the sound of the gulls grounding me. I looked up and frowned. That''s not a sea gull. The winged creature was the right size for a sea gull, but did not look the part. Its skin was a leathery brown with bunches of extra skin near the neck and wing joints, and the tail had some sort of spiked knob on the end. The head was small but the beak was large, with teeth poking out of the gums and interconnecting vertically. I watched in fascination as one of the creatures extended its wings, the extra flaps of skin expanding to cover the additional wingspan. It flapped and rose quickly, then dove into the ocean just as fast. This place is weird. Lia sat in the sand a little behind me, looking out over the water while Rosie chased the weird gull things.


    I watched the creatures detachedly, FuckFace''s bloody stump still in my mind. I couldn''t see anything else, and yet I watched as the one that dove surfaced, a fish in its jaws. The fish flopped and struggled but was held tightly in the flyer''s scissored teeth. Another flyer, one that was a little larger than the original, dove towards the first, attacking the head. The first flyer squawked and released the fish, but the second still continued, pecking at the first''s eyes until blood began to stain the water around and the pair. The first flyer screamed and fought back to no avail, eventually succumbing to its wounds. It floated on the surface of the water, bleeding from various cuts. The larger flyer crowed in triumph and began to eat the fish, devouring it in just a few bites. It finished the piscine meal and sniffed at the water, following the blood stain back to the corpse of the first flyer. Another crow, and it began to cannibalize the first. I scoffed. Fuck you, Carminal.

 Chapter 9: Fallout

    KILTONT called a town meeting that evening. Everyone was present and we met in the middle of town, the Chief standing on a box so he could speak out over us.


    "After much delay, the caravan has arrived." Kiltont said, a thin smile on his face. "That''s the good news."


    "And the bad?" Zerik asked, his deep voice rumbling over the silent crowd, rough with drink or some other kind of intoxicant. Kiltont bowed his head and spoke softly.


    "We are missing more than half of the necessary supplies." A gasp ripped through the crowd and even my eyebrows shot up.


    "Half?" I asked. "That has to be intentional." Kiltont nodded.


    "Yes. Lord Newendom refused my questions, though I believe I know the answer."


    "Martil." I snarled, my hands curling into fists.


    "Easy, Marshall. It isn''t fair, but this is how it is. We cannot change what has happened."


    "No, but we sure as shit can send a message." I turned towards the three carts the others had brought in. One of the carts, the one that had flipped, was gathered in a heap next to the others and looked very flammable. The villagers had started to repair it, but it was still broken. Kiltont smiled at me sadly.


    "You are brave, Marshall. Young. You have yet to see how cruel the world is. As we are now, we will not survive the summer. Even if we were to ''send a message'', all that would do is hurry our deaths. That gives the Emperor reason to send his Army here and kill us all."


    "So you''re just going to give up?"


    "Not giving up. Accepting reality. I cannot save this village. You cannot save this village; but the people within it do not have to die." Kiltont closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, their jade green shone with a fire I hadn''t seen before.


    "Your Empire has abandoned you." he called out to the crowd. "In its eyes, you are already dead. Let them think it so. As of today, you are all free. You may do as you please. Leave, stay, it does not matter." Silence hung over the crowd as everyone processed what he was saying. I smiled, glad that my feelings about the man were right. He is a good man.


    "You expect us to leave?!" someone shouted. Whispers spread through the crowd in a wave, the outburst echoed by most of them. "You''ve kept us chained here for years only to tell us that we are free now? That nothing we''ve worked for matters?" Kiltont nodded, eyes steely.


    "Yes. Neither I nor the guards will stop you should you choose to leave." Three people broke from the crowd, sprinting for the gate. They left and didn''t look back, speeding down the road in the direction the caravan had come from. "This city is dead. I am leaving, and I pray that you do as well. May the gods bless you all." The crowd began to disperse, departing the square in fours and fives as the Chief stepped down. Some of them headed back into the village and others followed the runners out into the grasslands. I turned to Kiltont and said:


    "That''s not what I expected you to do."


    "And I expected my country to care about me." he replied with a false smile. "It''s been a long time coming, anyway. Some of these people had over served their sentences by years but were unable to get transportation out."


    "They were trapped here?"


    "We all are. No normal man can survive for long out in the Wilds. Especially not these ones." He held up his hand to stop me from speaking. "I see the look on your face. Remember that you are not a normal man here, ''Tank''." Kiltont put extra emphasis the nickname, glaring at me. I nodded.


    "So y''all keep saying. Zerik looks big enough to lift a Steban to me."


    "I am." the Butcher slurred, stumbling up to us. "But not like you. I can move a full grown bull with some difficulty but you waltzed into my shop with one tossed over your shoulder like a rag!" He took a swig from a bottle and stumbled, crashing to the ground. He groaned and gave up trying to rise, settling back onto the street, a sloppy smile on his face.


    "Yeah." I agreed, rubbing the back of my head and turning back to Kiltont. "I''ve got to be better about not showing out."


    "That is an understatement, Marshall. I had you pegged as a Wayfinder from the moment we met. You must learn to blend in if you want to keep what you have built. Going around freeing Vartin will get you noticed by the Crown, and not in a good way."


    "Yes, sir." I said, sufficiently chastised.


    "Good. Come, I have someone to introduce you to."


    The Merchant was sitting on one of the carts, still sweating. I watched a bead of sweat travel from his receding hairline down his pale face and hang off a fat, quivering lip. I hated him immediately and a scowl formed on my lips. I fought it off quickly, pushing the roiling anger down. Kiltont marched straight up to the Merchant, crossing his arms and glaring at the fat man.


    "Lord Newendom, I''ve come to introduce somebody." The Merchant, Lord Newendom, glanced at Kiltont and rolled his eyes, standing from the bench and looking down at the bird man.


    "What do you want, commoner." he asked, clearly having not listened to Kiltont. The Chief turned towards me, sweeping an arm my way.


    "This is one of my best Guards and the one hired to protect you." I nodded and stepped forward, extending my hand towards the Merchant.


    "Good afternoon, sir; I am Tank. I fear we got off on the wrong foot. Please, allow me to introduce myself and apologize for my earlier behavior." I fought to keep my left fist unclenched and the smile on my face as I placated the scumbag. Just keep smiling, Marshall. He''ll get you to the dinosaurs.


    "I don''t care about your ''Guard'', Bird." Newendom turned away and sat back down, ignoring us. I scoffed and walked off. Fuckin'' dick.


    "Tank!" someone called from behind me. Kiltont was waving me back over. I sighed and walked the few steps back, crossing my arms and glaring at the two men. Somewhere in the back of my mind I recognized I was being petulant and childish, but whatever. Fuck ''em. What are they gonna do, stop me?


    "If he doesn''t want my help, that''s fine." I said. "We can make our own way to Lindholm or wherever the fuck just fine."


    "Lingholm."


    "Yeah, that one." The Merchant eye''s lit up at the mention of the city.


    "Lingholm, you say? That just so happens to be my destination as well. If you''d offer to guard me until then, I might consider taking you."


    "Consider this." I said, raising a finger on my right hand. Newendom narrowed his eyes in confusion, deciding whether to be offended or not.


    "It will cost you." he sneered, turning a malicious grin on Kiltont. "You, in particular."


    "No, it won''t." I said, stepping forward. "You will take US; me, my partner, and my wolf, plus Kiltont and his bitch wife, to Lingholm, and you will do so willingly." Rosie, the good girl that she is, backed up my words with her own threat, slobber dripping from between her fangs and azure eyes gleaming with excitement. Newendom paled slightly, beady black eyes flicking between me and Rosie. He rose to the challenge, setting his eyes on me and puffing up his chest.


    "Show some respect, boy. I am your salvation from this backwater hellhole. I must be compensated." I scoffed.


    "Sure, dude. ''Cause you''re totally not the only option. How''s about..."


    "My Lord." Kiltont said, interrupting me. "Your payment." I glared at the bird man but he ignored me, placing some coins in Newendom''s pudgy hand. An averous smile crept onto the merchant''s face as he looked at the coins.


    "Finally. Not nearly enough, but I know you are poor, so I''ll take this and three heads of cattle." Kiltont''s mouth twitched.


    "We do not have three heads of cattle, my Lord." The merchant''s eyebrows rose in fake shock.


    "Not even three measly cattle? This town really is the Empire''s Ass."


    "Fucker." I grumbled under my breath. What I really said was: "It''s not that bad, really. The sunsets are magnificent."


    "Yes, I''m sure the big ball of fire in the sky is beautiful." Newendom sighed, looking at the setting sun. The ''ball of fire'' was a soft yellow, nearly gold, and sat just above the horizon, casting long shadows over us. The dark water reflected the setting sun, drawing in its light; a picturesque sunset. "It''s too bad, really."


    "Your enthusiasm is palpable."


    "I like the sunsets here." Lia said, approaching from behind. "Much better than the ones in Hylent."


    "See? Lia thinks they''re awesome."


    "Ten silver is not enough for me to take two more people." Newendom said, turning away from Kiltont. He didn''t give the money back. My fists clenched and I kicked the urge to punch him from my mind. Instead, I said:


    "If ten silver isn''t enough, then maybe this will do." Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the coin bag and removed one of the golden coins. My face grinned back at me, cocky and sure. Newendom''s eyes lit up and he actually jumped off of the cart. He didn''t do it well, being so fat and round-shapped, but he managed. He didn''t fall down, at least. The ball of pudge waddled up to me, a bead of sweat dripping from his nose. He reached for my coin but I held it up above my head and out of his reach. He scowled up at me, looking more like a spoiled child, not a middle-aged man.


    "Give it to me, boy!" he shouted, reaching for the coin. I scoffed and raised it higher.


    "No. You want it, you''ll take Kiltont and his wife, plus us three," I gestured to me, Lia, and Rosie. "and you''ll do it willingly. Clear?" The Merchant scowled at me and fidgeted, clearly not wanting to take the additional people, but the Call of the Coin was too much. He growled and said:


    "Fine. I''ll take the five of you. You will be in charge of protecting everyone, Tank." Newendom put extra venom into my name, glaring at me and holding his hand out, palm up.


    "Good." I said, placing the coin in his hand. Newendom''s eyes went wide and he snapped his fist closed, slipping the coin into his pocket before I could react.


    "I did not expect someone out here to posses a Soul Coin." Newendom said, giving me an assessing look. I shuddered, his gaze feeling like a rough, oily tongue traveling up and down my body. "How did you come about it?"


    "I''m not telling you." I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. In honesty, I had no idea where the coins came from. Newendom laughed and turned back to his cart.


    "We leave tomorrow morning at the break of dawn, with or without you." he said.


    "Fine." I turned back to Lia, stalking away from the Merchant towards the ocean. She fell in step next to me, Rosie roaming out in front of us. My rage still boiled just beneath the surface and I struggled to get it back under control. FuckFace''s stump flashed in my mind and drew a snarl onto my face. I pushed the image away and focused on the sunset, watching the last remnants of light fade away. The Skulls danced in my vision, laughing at me in my wife''s voice as I paced up and down the beach, the sand warm around my bare feet. Newendom''s bullshit attitude fanned the flames of my anger, a growl echoing from my chest as I fought against it. My shoulders clenched hard and I stopped my pacing, allowing the cool tide to wash over my ankles and letting my breath out slow and steady. I''m okay. I''m not mad. Everything is fine.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The mood at super was somber. It should have been one of elation and excitement, and yet I was so in my head that I barely spoke while we ate. Lia was still too shy to speak, or maybe she just didn''t want to, but we ate in silence regardless. A sadness sat about me as I ate, trying to bring me down, but I didn''t let it, forcing myself to enjoy the taco-like things Lia made. They were damn good, too, and I ate more than ten of them, but I couldn''t shake this feeling from my heart. Like a cloud had settled over it and refused to leave, no matter how bright the sun or my Spark shone.


    The cloud got a little smaller about two hours later. In the week since we had started living together, it had become my nightly tradition to kiss the girls good night. Rosie got one; okay maybe she got like fifteen, on the top of her head and Lia got one on the lips. Her''s I specifically made sure to keep a simple peck, never kissing her for more than a second. Tonight, though, was different. I held Rosie for a solid five minutes, petting the wolf and taking solace in her solid body and stinky smell. She needs a bath before we leave tomorrow. My thoughts ran in circles and I couldn''t get them to stop. What the hell''s wrong with me? Did coming to this new world mess with my mental fortitude? Why am I letting the death of a man who would have killed me bother me?


    I sighed into Rosie''s flank, trying to let the weight on my shoulders go. It didn''t work, but Lia''s hand did diminish the darkness and she drew my head up, eyes unfocused. I knew the girl was in front of me as I could see the burning forest of her eyes surrounded by a wine-red silk waterfall, but the details were missing. They became clearer when the sun kissed my lips, burgundy hair coming into focus. Ruby lips moved against my own slowly, her tongue licking them ever so slightly. She moaned and moved closer, folding her body into mine. It reacted, opening my lips and taking her tongue with my own while wrapping my arms around her. She melted bonelessly and wrapped her arms around my neck, a slight smile on her lips. I could feel it against my own and smiled back.


    I snapped back to reality as the Demon touched my left shoulder, its bony fingers digging into my skin and ripping me away from the girl. My smile fell into a scowl so deep that even Rosie whined, licking my free hand. I pulled back from Lia, disgust filling my heart, and rose from the bed. My footsteps echoed down the empty hall and I heard the door slam behind me as I stepped out into the night. I looked up at the sky, at the unknown stars and unfamiliar moon. My feelings roiled in my heart and mind, growing even as I stood there, clenched, confused, and exhausted. What the hell is happening to me?


    Forty minutes and multiple apologies later, the three of us were in bed again. I wrapped my arms around Lia but didn''t kiss her, instead opting to bury my face in her neck as she held me. She smelled like flowers that had just begun to bloom; Spring, if I had to put a word to it. Lia smelled like spring; the first rains after a long winter or honeysuckle right before it''s ready to be picked. Her scent tickled my brain in a pleasing, addicting way and I latched onto her smell, taking as much of its assurity as I could.


    "Sir." a warm breeze whispered in my ear. I looked up into a forest burning bright with concern. "Are you alright?" I nodded, snuggling back into her.


    "Fine." I said. "Just tired." Lia kissed the top of my head and stroked the side with one hand. I was quiet for a moment, the feeling of her hand in my hair consuming my thoughts and spreading peace through my heart before I whispered: "I killed a man today." I felt Lia stiffen, then nod.


    "Yes, you did. Why?" Taken aback by her bluntness, I sat up and looked at her.


    "What?"


    "Why did you kill him?"


    "I didn''t want to, he just jumped from his horse and landed on me and I reacted and then his head was in my lap and..." I stopped talking as Lia took my hands in hers and got in my face.


    "Why did you kill that man." she repeated, eyes blazing.


    "To save myself." I said, dropping my gaze from hers.


    "Just you? No one else?" she asked pointedly. "Killing a person changes you, but you can grow from it. It hurts, I know, but you can get stronger from this. That man would have killed you, then Kiltont, and then me. You stopped him from doing that." I nodded, her words making some sense. "This world is cruel, Marshall. Crueler than you could ever imagine and it takes strength to live here. Physical, emotional, everything about you must be strong."


    "I know, it''s just..."


    "You will kill again." Lia took my chin in her hand and brought it up, forcing me to look her in the eyes. "That is a fact. Whether it be monster or man, you will take a life."


    "I know, Lia, but I don''t want to kill." I snapped. The girl''s eyes flashed with anger and her hand clenched around my chin.


    "No one does, but we must. It is a good thing that you don''t want to kill. As Chief said earlier, I''d fear you''d lost your mind if taking a life didn''t sadden you." I smiled at her; a tired, finished smile.


    "I''ll be fine, Lia. I just need to process. I know that to protect you and Rosie I need to get stronger, and that includes my mental as well." Lia nodded sharply, never taking her eyes from mine. "I don''t understand, though. Why is this affecting me so much? Why can''t I get her out of my head?" Lia''s face went through a series of emotions that I couldn''t track before settling on a strained smile.


    "Who, Sir?" she whispered through gritted teeth. I shook my head, crushing the line of questioning.


    "Nobody important. She''s a liar and a cheater, anyway." The rage sparked in my Core, flaring up at the thought of her. I sighed and laid back on the mattress, pulling Lia down with me. She didn''t resist and laid her head on my shoulder, kissing my neck softly and trailing her lips from my neck to my jaw.


    "Who can you not forget, Sir?" she asked again. Her voice was soft and kind but held something in it, a deep-seated sadness that I recognized. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears that faded when she squeezed them shut. She can''t forget someone, either. Lia leaned down and hugged me tightly. "You have a kind heart, Sir, and I pray that you do not loose it. But you must harden it. We will be attacked on the road and you will have to fight to stay alive. I will be there for you, as will Rosie. You are not alone." As she spoke, I raised my arms and wrapped her in a hug, pulling her into me.


    "Have you killed before?" I asked. Again, Lia stiffened.


    "Yes." she whispered. "I have."


    "How''d you get past it?" She was silent for a while, long enough for me to sit up and check on her. "Lia?"


    "I didn''t have a choice." she said quietly.


    "Oh." That was the last thing we said, both of us retreating into our own thoughts. I fell into a restless sleep that was plagued by nightmares and laughing skulls.


    The sun rose the next morning on twelve or so forms standing in the middle of town. Rosie, Lia, and I stood in a pod next to Kiltont and Marin, and Newendom stood with his crew. There were a few villagers milling around as well. Maybe they''re here to see us off? I steeled my nerves as Newendom called for departure.


    "We''re leaving!" the Merchant hollered, hauling his bulk into the first of the three wagons. He and the three men he arrived with took the first, the six of us took the second, and some of the guardsmen from the town took the third, Zerik and Zerok among them. They must have bought their passage as well. The cart wheels rumbled over the dirt roads as a whip cracked and the Fire Horses screamed. Lia, Rosie, and I rode through the gates of Rivera for the final time and I turned, looking at the town that had given me a home for a week and a half. A strange feeling of loss pricked at my heart as I watched the walls recede behind us. I didn''t want to leave my new home. The sunsets were gorgeous and I doubted I''d ever be that close to the ocean again. Kiltont placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently.


    "I know, my boy, but you are meant for more than life in a small town." I flashed to the last time someone had said that to me; my grandfather the day I left for college. I nodded, the walls disappearing from view as the road turned North. Lia intertwined her hand with mine, squeezing it gently as we bumped down the rough road.


    I expected things to be adventurous or at least a little exciting as we travelled, but the first day and a half of our trip was boring as fuck. Literally it was just me walking beside the caravan on one side, Kiltont on the other, and some of the guards at the front and behind. The guards would patrol constantly, with us two as guaranteed flank protection. The sounds of the carts provided a constant background, which allowed my thoughts to roam. Not a good thing, mind you. I spent the first day in my depression slump, unable to bring myself out of it. I was only able to start going back to normal after the world had had enough of my shit. In the early afternoon of the second day of our trip, everything went wrong. I was walking down the road, the carts on my left and Rosie on my right, the tree line about ten yards beyond her. The carts had spread out, Newendom pulling ahead of us by a solid ten yards. What I had taken to calling Zerik''s cart was ten or so yards behind me, rumbling along without a care. Everything was spread evenly, and I''d thought that would be beneficial.


    Boy, was I wrong.


    I had drifted into my thoughts, trying to ignore the Demon sitting on the back of the middle cart grinning at me, when someone screamed. It was high and shot through with fear, piercing my eardrums, and came from behind me. The shriek was almost immediately covered by an ear-shattering, terrifying roar. I turned and watched in horror as the trees thirty yards away shook and a massive, bi-pedal shape emerged. Its head was similar to the Devilk''s but different in the sense that this creature had a fleshy frill on the top of its skull. The frill was bright red and glowed with an inner fire that dimmed as the creature roared again and its thick tail burst into flames. They spilled from the underside of the tail, leaving a trail of fire behind the monster as it thundered towards Zerik''s cart. The beast stopped running and twisted its body, whipping the flaming tail at the cart behind me. The fire flew through the air like a flamethrower, taking to the wooden cart like a fat man to a dessert table.


    Zerik''s cart exploded in a magnificent fireball. I felt the heat pass over me and the roar of the flames echoed in my ears. Terror filled my veins when the beast reset and roared again, its clawed hands resting against the ground. The arms were longer than the Devilk, allowing for the creature to run with either two or four legs, depending on what it wanted, and were heavily muscled. My hearing cleared and I became aware of the screaming. Most of it was coming from the second wagon; my wagon. The noise was high and fearful and the beast''s head snapped towards it, an excited look in its orange eyes. My own went wide as it began to rumble towards me. Thinking quickly, I raced away from the cart, waving my arms and making a ton of noise.


    "Hey!" I shouted, jumping and waving. "Hey! Over here!" It worked; at first. The beast chased me for a few steps, lumbering after the weird thing that kept screaming. Sadly, though, whatever idiot had screamed initially kept screaming and the beast narrowed its eyes in thought. I watched the gears turning in its head as it slowed and eventually stopped. It looked back at the cart, then at me. I screamed and tried to attract it, but my heart sank when it fucking grinned and turned back towards the cart. Oh no.


    I sprinted back towards the cart but had run farther than I thought. Damn all that running Kiltont made me do. I''m faster than I used to be now. An audible snarl that shot fear into my heart came from my cart and Rosie, the brave girl that she is, launched herself at the monster that was six times her size. She flew through the air, claws extended and fangs bared, aiming for the theropod''s exposed throat. Unlike the Devilk, though, this monster had six-foot-long arms tipped with vicious claws. The beast roared in glee, orange eyes flashing, and it grabbed Rosie out of the air, its claws wrapping around the wolf. She yip''ed in pain and a low, menacing growl grew from the creature as it brought Rosie closer to its mouth. My hand reached out, desperate top help, but I was too far. I wouldn''t make it in time. My Core heated up, sending energy into my limbs without my say-so. Even more energy began to pour from my core, gathering in my chest. I screamed, doing everything in my power to distract the creature and save my wolf. It didn''t work and the frilled theropod bent its head, jaws open and waiting to chomp down on its victim.


    "NOOOOOOOO!!!!!" I shouted. I''d failed. AGAIN. I can''t save anyone. I can''t even save my only friend in this world. Sorrow flooded the power in my core, rage following almost immediately. As the breath left my lungs, the searing energy surged up from my core and into my throat. It was reminiscent of the heat that saved my life, but way, way angrier. There was a golden flash and a BANG! not unlike a gunshot that bounced around in my head, and the power left me. I was blinded by the golden flash and when my vision cleared, my mouth dropped open. The world had gone silent, the only noise in the sudden quiet my panting and the soft whimpering coming from the beast. The beast itself lay motionless, unmoving except for one of its hands that shifted slightly. I recovered and sprinted for the creature, sliding to a stop three yards away. The whimpers had gotten louder as I got closer and I fought to slow my breathing, approaching the last few feet slowly.


    As I approached, heart hammering in my chest, my eyes went wide. The beast was dead, no doubt about it. A hole twice the size of my fist was located in the theropod''s chest and blood leaked from it. I could see wet, red grass through the wound. Whatever had hit the monster had punched clean through to the other side. The whimpering had grown a little now, and I rushed to get the beasts quad-clawed hand off of what I prayed was an uninjured Rosie. As soon as I touched the beast''s hand, a screen sprang to life in my vision. I ignored it and focused on my goal, tears springing to my eyes when I saw my wolf.


    She was covered in blood, a huge gash on her back right haunch. It bled freely and I pet her on the top of her head, whispering comforting words. She whined and adjusted, trying to get onto her stomach but was unable too. She laid back and looked at me with wet azure eyes. Her canine face swam as my tears fell.


    "You''ll be alright." I whispered to her, pulling the roll of gauze from my Inventory. "I''m going to help you." I looked at the wound, my heart racing. It was long and deep, completely different than the hole from the Steban''s thagomizer. This one was beyond my first-aid skills. I still laid the gauze over the wound and pressed my hands over it, trying to stop the bleeding. Rosie whimpered as I applied pressure, squirming under my hands. I cried as I knelt over my wolf, my tears splashing down onto her dark coat and I tried to keep her still. I jumped when someone knelt beside me, putting a hand on my shoulder. Lia knelt next to me, her face filled with determination. My sobs began to slow as Lia took over for me, removing the sticky gauze from the wound. She inhaled sharply as she looked down at Rosie and her whole body began to glow gold. Lia laid her hands on Rosie''s haunch and the wolf sighed, closing her eyes. My tears continued to fall though I''d moved to Rosie''s head, holding it in my lap and whispering sweet nothings to her. Slowly but surely, the wound closed. I tried not to shift when it fully sealed, letting Rosie rest.


    Lia sat back on her heels, breathing heavily. She shifted and sat fully, wrapping her arms around her knees and resting her head on them. I continued to pet Rosie, my gaze torn between the two girls. Eventually, I felt Rosie slip into sleep. Her breathing deepened and her azure eyes closed, so I removed her head from my lap and laid it down gently. I crawled over to Lia, wrapping the small woman in my arms and holding her as close as I could. Lia was breathing heavily and I could feel her heart pounding as I held her.


    "Thank you." I whispered into her burgundy hair. I kept repeating the sentiment over and over, kissing her in a different place each time. Head, forehead, cheeks, lips, neck, everywhere my lips could touch got a kiss. I felt her come to life as I showered her in thanks, her arms rising and holding onto mine with a surprising strength. My body shook with sobs, emotions completely unchecked. I don''t know how long I held her, but I was interrupted by something sniffing at my side. I pulled back from the girl to find Rosie standing by my side, tail wagging slowly.


    "Rosie!" I cried, throwing my arms around her neck and hugging her tightly. The wolf whimpered and shifted, and I pulled back, worry in my voice. "Are you alright? How do you feel?" She barked once, but her feet didn''t leave the ground this time. I still got the sense that she was saying ''YES'', though. My smile was one of the largest I''d ever smiled as I held my girls close.