A warmth enveloped them. As soon as they fell through the gate, Mikhail saw the house being destroyed by a hail of bullets before the gate closed. They tumbled through stars and cosmic clouds, an infinite blackness stretching out around them. Nebo’s eyes darted around, as if to take in as much of what was happening as possible.

Katya hung limply in Mikhail's other arm, she’d passed out as soon as they fell into the portal, and he held on to her with all his strength. It felt as if they were accelerating faster and faster, the universe around them turning into a blur, until a bright light appeared into view.

They stormed towards it, and when they fell through they crashed into a body of crystal clear, warm water. Mikhail came up for breath as soon as he could, but he’d lost Katya in the process. Nebo was still firmly held in his free arm, gasping for breath and clenching Mikhail's neck. The shore wasn't too far, so he paddled there and left Nebo on the sand, before jumping back in to look for Katya. He saw a vague, dark shape in the water, and dived down to retrieve it.

He grabbed at the fabric of her dress and tried to reach the surface, but the weight of two grown people proved to be more of a challenge than he thought with one wounded shoulder. He swam underwater in the general direction of the shore, pulling Katya along by her arm, and eventually touched solid ground with his toes. A bit further and he could stand up.

He reached a point where he could pull her to shore, and climbed out backwards holding her beneath her armpits. When they reached the shore, he almost immediately dropped her.

Tears formed in his eyes. All the searing pain in his shoulder that adrenaline had helped him ignore, suddenly overtook him with a vengeance. He rolled around on the ground holding his arm, groaning and cursing.

A small hand touched his shoulder, Nebo had crawled towards him. He felt a prickling, hot sensation spread through his shoulder, and as he turned to look at Nebo he saw the boy’s eyes faintly glowing with the same golden light that Katya's emitted. The pain subsided a little, just enough to get his bearings back.

Then it hit him. Katya. He had to go see if she was alright. He took one last quizzical look at Nebo, and hurried to where he put Katya down.

He knelt down beside her and put his head on her chest. At first, he thought he heard nothing, but as the water left his ears, he could hear the faint sound of her heartbeat. It was almost noiseless, but it was there, she was still alive. Her chest seemed to move ever so slightly too, so luckily no water probably entered her lungs. To make sure, he moved his fingers close to her nose and felt for breathing. The warm air of her breath rolled over his fingers. She was alright.

The exhaustion caught up with him. He leaned backwards, closing his eyes and slowing his breathing. As he calmed down, the sounds of a thousand different kinds of birds and the rustling of a million leaves enveloped him, a cacophony of life. The smell of moist ground, like the air after heavy rainfall entered his nose. He opened his eyes and looked around. He’d never seen such an environment.

Two suns warmed his wet body from a beautiful clear blue sky, and a dense, leafy forest stretched out in every direction. The water they'd fallen into was a lake, not very large but incredibly deep as far as he could tell. To his right, he saw an immense valley surrounded by tree-covered mountains, holding a somewhat circular city in the middle of it. A single spire stood in the middle, reaching above the clouds and dwarfing the mountains surrounding the city.

Giant birds with four wings, and feathers of every conceivable colour flew around the spire. He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw men riding on their backs.

“So it finally happened,” he said, “I’ve gone insane at last.” He stared into nothingness. Where the hell did they end up?

“Mika?” The tiny voice startled Mikhail.

He looked around for the source, and his eyes rested on little Nebo. Did he just speak?

“Mika? Okay?” The boy stared at Mikhail, a worried expression on his face. He stretched out his little hand and touched Mikhail's cheek.

“Nebo? You can talk?” Mikhail said, his mouth agape.

Nebo nodded. “Not good. Little. Kata, teach.” He squeaked, as he pointed to Katya. “Kata okay?”

Mikhail gently took Nebo's hand, rubbed it with his thumb and smiled softly at him. “Katya’s okay lad, she's just sleeping. She’ll wake up soon, don't worry.”

Nebo’s eyes lit up, worry leaving his face. “Kata okay!”

He envied how unbothered children could be after just a bit of reassurance.

“How did Katya teach you to talk? I've never seen her speak to you in the last few days.”

Nebo touched his cheek with his finger, let it linger there for a moment and then moved it to his eyes. “She teach, here,” He touched his temple. “And here!”

Mikhail frowned. Did she do the same thing to Nebo as she did to him when he ran through the forest, speaking directly into his head?

He decided he'd ask her when she woke up. For now, he had to find shelter for the three of them and some food. He could go into the city in the valley, but he had too little information to confidently walk in there. He couldn't waltz into a city carrying an unconscious woman over his shoulder either, they'd attract too much attention, and attracting attention was never good in unknown lands.

Usually, he’d have snuck in there by himself and stolen some food, but he couldn't leave Katya and Nebo to fend for themselves here in the wilderness.

A splash distracted him from his musings. Nebo was playing at the lakefront, unbothered by the uncertain situation they found themselves in.

I’m glad he seems to act like a normal kid.

Mikhail got up, brushed off his pants and walked towards Katya. He knelt beside her to check her breathing again. It was steady, it seemed like she was just completely exhausted for now. At least, he hoped so.

He called Nebo over, the boy came running as fast as his stubby legs could carry him.

Mikhail put his hands on Nebo's shoulders, knelt to his height and looked him over. “Listen, lad. I need you to stay as close to me as possible from now on, and don't go wandering off. I don't know where we are yet, and I can't worry about you when I’m trying to keep us safe. Do you understand?”

Nebo nodded, a determined expression on his face. “Close to Mika, yes.”

“Good. We have to keep Katya safe too, so pay attention, and tell me if anything seems strange to you.” He ruffled Nebo’s hair.

Nebo smiled and nodded again. “Kata, keep safe, yes!”

Mikhail wondered why Nebo seemed so normal now compared to the last few days in the cabin.

Must have been the shock of being left all alone in a dark forest.

He decided against asking Nebo what happened, lest he caused him to go silent again.

“Well then, will you carry Katya or should I? Should we flip a coin?” He grinned at Nebo.

Nebo looked up at him, puzzled. “Pick up? Kata too big.”

Mikhail snorted, and placed Katya over his good shoulder.

“You might not want to let her hear you say that, lad.” He smacked Nebo's shoulder, causing the boy to stumble. “Now let's go, we’ve got a new home to find.”

He ventured into the forest, and he heard Nebo's rapid little steps trying to keep up with him as they disappeared into the wilderness.

Hours passed as they treaded through the thick underbrush looking for shelter. Mikhail had to rest every so often to catch his breath. Katya wasn't very heavy, but the pain from his wound combined with the effort needed for carrying her and keeping his balance on the uncertain forest ground exhausted him more than he'd like to admit. At least it wasn't freezing here, but the twin suns were going down, and the wind penetrating their wet clothes didn't make for a comfortable feeling either.

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Nebo often fell behind. He was just too small to keep up with Mikhail's pace, though he tried his best. Not a word of complaint was heard from the boy though, which surprised Mikhail.

Just as he was ready to give up and build a shelter of leaves and branches, he spotted a dark hole in the distance.

Oh gods, I pray that's what I think it is.

Mikhail looked back at Nebo, and saw the poor boy standing there panting, twigs and leaves in his hair, but still with a determined, though weary look in his eyes.

He smiled at him. “You did great, lad. Come on, just a bit further, I think we found shelter.”

Nebo didn't say anything, but he nodded that he understood.

They resumed their walk, and soon reached the place Mikhail had spotted. He sighed a breath of relief, and noticed the muscles in his neck relaxing. He’d been high-strung the entire time they traversed the forest, keeping an eye out for unknown wild animals and other dangers.

When they approached Mikhail noticed that it wasn't a very deep cave, and the light of the setting suns revealed enough to see that there weren't any animals occupying it. The entrance was somewhat low, so Mikhail had to bend over a bit to get in there.

He laid Katya down, and sat against the hard rock wall of the cave. Nebo came walking in, and quickly scooched close to Mikhail. He felt the boy shivering.

“Are you okay, Nebo?”

“Yes, close to Mika.”

“Good lad.” He rubbed the boy's shoulders to warm him up a little.

Mikhail allowed himself to catch his breath, but soon set out to gather some branches for a fire after telling Nebo to stay in the cave with Katya.

It was too late to go look for food now, so he had to at least make sure they could dry their clothes and stay warm throughout the night.

The forest was a damp place, which made finding dry wood and decent kindling a bit of a challenge. He managed to scrounge up a decent amount eventually, but the venture had cost him more energy than he'd like to admit.

When he returned to the cave, Nebo had crawled close to Katya and lay there shivering. Mikhail shook his shoulder gently to wake him up.

“Wake up, lad.” He said. “I'm sorry, but we need to get you out of those wet clothes.”

Nebo sheepishly opened his bright blue eyes, and actually seemed slightly annoyed. With a short huff he sat up and took off his shirt.

Mikhail felt a twinge of amusement as he saw the boy struggling to undress in a half sleeping state.

He’d built a makeshift rack for their clothes, and thanked the heavens when he found some flint and steel in his pockets. They managed to stay dry due to being wrapped in an airtight leather pouch.

He struck the steel and flint together, and managed to start a small fire. He blew gently on the smoldering wood to fan the flames, and soon a decent campfire lit up the cave. Mikhail took his clothes off as well and hung them to dry together with Nebo's clothes.

Next was Katya. Mikhail mumbled an apology before taking her dress off, and carried her a bit closer to the fire, trying to look away from her as he did.

“You can go back to sleep now, Nebo.” He nodded in Katya's direction. “Lie down close to her, so you keep eachother warm.”

“Mika not tired?”

Mikhail laughed dryly. “I’m very tired, lad. But I’ll stay up for a bit longer to make sure nothing happens.” He held his knees close to his chest. “Goodnight now, close those big blues and we’ll meet again in the morning.”

“Okay. Night, Mika.” Nebo smiled at him, and laid down close to Katya.

Soon, Mikhail heard the steady breathing of the two being fast asleep. It comforted him. Thoughts of how things would pan out from now on consumed him as he stared into the now dark forest.

Here you are, in a strange land, with an unconscious woman and a child.

He rocked back and forth lightly, eventually closing his eyes.

How did you end up like this, you fool? Don’t you know that your own survival is the highest priority?

You’ve forgotten the lessons life has taught you. If you hadn't, you wouldn't be in this situation.

Mikhail shook his head.

No. I've lived life that way, and all it brought was suffering and numbness. There's more to life than looking out for yourself, I won't do it anymore.

The doubts scratched at his conviction, he couldn't shake the feeling of uncertainty in his mind.

Then what? Suddenly you're going to be a good man? Do you think you can erase the things you've done just because you're trying to keep these two safe? Don't make me laugh. You're not even sure if you're helping them to save your own soul, or if you genuinely care about them.

Mikhail sighed.

You're right, it might be that I'm doing this out of selfishness. But if something good is born from that selfishness, then is it bad to do so?

He ran his fingers through his damp hair and tried to stop his thoughts in vain.

You’ll see. It won't take much for you to abandon these two when things get too dangerous. Self preservation has always been your only goal.

He shook his head again.

That was true in the past, I’ve changed. A man can change if he wants to.

Yes, you're right, Mikhail. Men can change, but can beasts as well?

His thoughts raced for several more hours before exhaustion finally overtook him, and he fell into an uneasy sleep.

Mikhail traipsed through the forest, checking the snares he’d set. It had been three days since they'd found the cave, and in those three days he managed to scrounge up some food and water after hours of exploring. The water came from a stream he stumbled upon by chance as he explored the area around the cave. Sadly, he hadn't seen any fish in there, so he was forced to set traps.

He wanted to take Nebo with him to teach the boy how to scour for food and survive, but he couldn't leave Katya all alone in case she woke up.

The first two snares had been untouched, and the third was triggered but the animal had apparently gotten away. At the fourth snare he finally got lucky. An animal the size of a large rabbit got caught, and dangled helplessly from a wire attached to a sapling tree. It resembled a weasel, except it was significantly fatter and its eyes bulged, almost like a frog.

He'd caught a few of these critters yesterday as well, and had come to call them Botos, after a boy by that name he had known in his hometown. That kid had bulging eyes as well. He snickered as he remembered how Boto had looked after he’d given him two black eyes for stealing his bread.

He checked the rest of the traps, but had to return to the cave with just the one animal.

Before he entered the cave, he whistled a tune to let Nebo know it was him that was coming. He waited for a response, but none came. He whistled again. Nothing.

His heart rate shot up, and his stomach churned.

Please, let them be alright.

He unsheathed his daggers, and carefully snuck towards the cave.

When he came in, he saw Katya was still asleep near the place where he'd built the campfires. The smell of an extinguished fire hung in the cave. He threw the dead Boto on the floor, and raced outside.

He glimpsed a track leading away from the cave. Tiny footsteps. Heat flushed through his body and he grit his teeth.

He followed the tracks, and eventually saw Nebo kneeling in the grass between a few trees. He whistled.

“Mika!” Nebo squealed, and stumbled as he got up.

Mikhail flared his nostrils. “Didn't I tell you to keep watch over Katya? And why is the fire out?”

Nebo looked away shyly.

“Look at me, and answer me!”

Nebo stared at his feet and plucked at his clothes. “Sorry Mika…”

“Sorry won't cut it.” He stepped towards Nebo and grabbed his shoulders. “Look at me, Nebo.”

Nebo looked up at him, tears welled up in the boy's eyes.

“I need you to do what I say, do you understand?” He shook him. “If you don't keep watch over her, someone or something might take her, do you understand, boy?”

Nebo sniffled, and tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Oh, gods damn- stop crying!” Mikhail squeezed Nebo's shoulders.

Nebo's voice quivered. “Mika stop, please! Sorry!”

Mikhail startled himself. He let go of Nebo, and backed away. He looked at his hands, images of his father's furious face as he beat him came flooding into his mind. He looked at Nebo again.

The boy stood turned away from him, clutching his arms. His bottom lip was trembling, and his eyes were wide with fear.

Fear of him.

It hurt Mikhail, he didn't want to see that look in Nebo's eyes. He didn't want to see his father’s reflection when Nebo looked at him.

But shouldn't I do this to make clear how serious the situation is? He has to grow up, right?

Yes, but not like this. This is weakness on my part.

“Nebo, I’m sorry.” He said, taking a step towards him. “I shouldn't have done that, I’m–”

Nebo took a step back.

Guilt cut like hot iron through him. He looked down.

“Lad, listen. I just want you, no, I need you to understand how important it is that you stay in the cave for now.” He wrung his hands. “I’m sorry I scared you, and I didn't mean to shout.”

Nebo warily looked him up and down, and wiped his tears with the back of his hand.

“Please. I really am sorry, come on, let's go back to the cave.” Mikhail stretched out his hand, and managed a half smile.

Nebo hesitated, but eventually took Mikhail's hand. “Is okay Mika. Am sorry, too.”

Relief washed over Mikhail, and they made their way back to the cave again. On the way, Mikhail pointed out a few strange looking plants and birds, hoping to take the boy's mind off what just happened.

“Oh! I caught another Boto today.” Mikhail said, grinning at Nebo. “Are you hungry?”

Nebo nodded seriously. “Yes, very.”

Mikhail chuckled. “Well, then you're in luck, this might be the fattest one I’ve caught yet. I’m surprised the string didn't snap.”

Nebo squeezed his hand and beamed a smile at him. “Very fat boto?”

“Incredibly fat.” Mikhail puffed up his cheeks.

Nebo giggled.

“Do you know why I call them Botos Nebo?”

Nebo shook his head. “Why, Mika?”

“Well, you see, back when I was a young lad like you, there was this kid–”

An ear-shattering screech interrupted him from continuing the story. It came from the direction of the cave.

“Mika! What that?” Nebo asked, a fearful expression on his face.

Mikhail picked up Nebo and ran towards the sound, shielding his face from twigs and branches with his free arm. When he was nearly there, he slowed to a halt, pulled Nebo down and motioned for him not to make a sound.

He went prone, and crawled towards the low overhang overlooking the cave. In the small clearing in front of the cave, he saw what had made the sound. It was one of the strange birds that circled the spire in the valley. It was trying to get into the cave, but its wings were too large for it to get in.

He looked back at Nebo, and saw his own worry reflected in the boy's face. What was he going to do? The beast was huge, he couldn't possibly fight it with just his two daggers.

But then what, was he going to leave Katya there to die? He didn't know how far the beast's beak reached, he couldn't be sure if she would be safe.

“Damn it all!” He mumbled. First, he had to calm down and collect his thoughts. One breath, two br-

Another shriek interrupted his mental mantra. He looked down, and saw the beast dragging Katya out of the cave by her dress.

No more thinking, he had no time. He winked and grinned at Nebo in a vain effort to appear confident, and grabbed his daggers. He went to the edge of the overhang, took a deep breath, and jumped down towards the beast without making a sound. His daggers ripped into the back of its neck, but slipped out on the way down making him smash into the ground. He fell on his wounded shoulder, and black spots formed in his vision as the pain shot like lightning through his body.

The beast howled in pain as it dropped Katya and thrashed wildly around.

The huge bird retched, and accidentally slammed its massive head against the rock wall.

Good, at least you're not doing great either, you overgrown chicken.