Tavrin approached us with Zilra in tow. “There’s someone in the trees.”

“Thanks smarty-pants.” I scoffed.

Focus idiot. Harder. I wished for a zooming ability with my eyes, but it didn’t happen. Oh, what I’d give to have binoculars right now.

Then something green unveiled on its head. Green as in mint green.

Did this guy have mint green hair?

What I saw next I couldn’t believe. Not in this damn world. Not a hundred percent. He was some distance away. Yet I saw him raise his hand, curling his fingers and pressing them against his forehead. They formed an "L". A bloody L.

This damn... how the hell?

And then he jumped to another tree. Then another. And another. He was fast. Stupid fast. Those trees were at least 10 meters apart from each other, yet he bounced around between them as if he was on a playground.

“After him!” I shouted. Everyone seemed confused as I rushed past them. Still exhausted from our impromptu race I used all the energy I’d left in me.

Whoever gave me these tiny wings - screw you.

I ran. Faster even than earlier. This guy I must catch. In my mind, there was no way in hell a random someone could know what that gesture meant. It was impossible. Unless?

Someone who shared my fate?

I sped up even more. All the pains I’d have to live through the next day didn’t matter. And there would most definitely be a lot of pain.

Then I heard loud laughter. A child’s laughter. It didn’t stop, but my target was gone. What is this? This kid is bloody mocking me. I halted to look around. Trees over trees with no one between them. The sun was almost directly over the forest at this point. We had spent the whole morning fooling around. So far, this trip had practically amounted to nothing. Where is he? Come out, you coward. Come out. Come out.

It was ironic. Me chasing after someone. Being the coward was my signature behavior. Where are you, brat? Oh, the laughing.

“Shut the fuck up!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

And the laughing.

Stopped.

Suddenly it was quiet. Only the distant sound of birds chirping. A slight breeze. It was almost... meditative. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Great.

Seconds later the other brats arrived. Huffing and puffing.

“Took you morons long enough.” I said.

“Did... you... get him?” Rheka asked, breathing hard after every word.

“What were you idiots thinking.” My patience had met its end. Yet I didn’t scream. Instead, I spoke in the most matter-of-fact way I could.

“That brat could have been a spy. An assassin. Or God-knows-what.”

“A spy for who?” Tavrin interjected, raising his hand.

“Who cares!?” Now I was screaming.

“You don’t just let the shadiest individual you can find tail you!?”

They didn’t respond. Looking at me with a blank expression.

“What if he pops up with, I don’t know, twenty others?! What you gonna do then, smartass? Die? You think your damn brother would be happy about that? Where the hell even is he? Sure! Let these randoms babysit you while he’s frolicking around on some god-forsaken island!”

I turned to face Zilra. “And you. Peasant Princess. When’s your father, oh pardon me – his highness going to expend a thought on how to get you back to him? Does he care that little? You’ve been with us for months! Yet I haven’t heard a single fucking inkling of gratitude leave your lips. Not even a hey I appreciate you all for feeding my dumbass through the entire winter. Nothing. Nothing. But who am I to expect that from someone who can’t even say thank you.”

I let out a forced sigh. Both Tavrin and Zilra didn’t meet my gaze. Neither did they speak. Instead, they looked at the ground. That slippery, gooey wet mess of a forest ground.

“Argi? I think we’re lost.” Rheka said. She still wore a slight smile after all that.

I glanced around. I couldn’t remember where we came from. And from the looks of it, the others couldn’t either. We were by every definition of the word - lost.

We kept on walking. Everyone stayed quiet. Only Rheka whistled a tune every now and then. In what direction we were going I didn’t know. But there was no point in staying where we were. If we just kept on walking straight ahead in a line, we would definitely exit the forest at some point. I had everyone look out for distinctive marks that seemed familiar. Though it was hard to tell when someone calls out a particular tree or bush. There was trees and bushes everywhere. I had Tavrin count steps in his head, calling out every 100th step we took. That way I could estimate the approximate distance we had covered. Let’s just say that things didn’t look... too bright.

And before you ask – yes, I did take the sun into consideration. It didn’t matter. By this time, it was past midday, so the sun was no longer helpful. It mocked us. High and mighty in the sky, making it impossible to estimate direction with any accuracy. Without shadows to guide us, the sun was just a bright spot over our heads, offering no clear sense of anything. Later it got so cloudy that even that faint, overhead glow disappeared entirely. The sky turned into a flat, oppressive gray, with not even a hint of the sun's position. We were left with nothing but endless trees, indistinguishable in every direction. Any hope of using the sun to guide us had vanished along with the light.

So, we continued on. In the direction I believed to be the right one. And to be clear, I wasn’t the greatest when it came to navigation. Far from it. When it came to orientation I was like a headless chicken. But standing still wasn’t an option, so I pushed us forward. Hoping that some instinct, or maybe just dumb luck, would eventually lead us out.

As the afternoon wore on, the sun began to set slowly, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch and twist, distorting my sense of direction even more. The little light we had grew dimmer, and the forest, which had been a maze of mushy brown and green, began to fade into a deeper shade of gray. It didn't take too long before twilight set in, and the forest grew dark.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Everyone made sure to inform me plenty about their feet hurting, so I made the brave decision to take a break. And settle in for the night.

The trees around us were nothing more than looming shadows, and the only sounds were the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl. It felt like the forest was closing in on us, making every creak and snap seem more menacing. I tried to focus on keeping everyone calm, but to be honest, my own nerves were on edge.

Rheka, still somewhat upbeat despite everything, tried to make a fire. To her this must've been just another silly adventure. Even if she witnessed me losing my cool there earlier. I just had to blow off some steam. Babysitting these brats twentyfour-seven was a draining task. Funnily enough, this was probably the closest thing to an actual job I'd ever have. Maybe I'd apologize to the two later. Maybe.

Rheka's fire took a while. Just wildly casting ember as she was doing only amounted to half the task.

C'mon Rheka you've done half a job and you've got a full smile!

Her mana wouldn't last forever, either. No. What she needed, was a proper, dry kindle. Thank the heavens Tavrin and Zilra came just in time to bring some. I had both of them look together, lest they got their asses lost. I watched from a distance as the three of them assembled everything. Under my supervision we could finally get somewhere. Eventually, we had a small, flickering flame that cast an orange glow on our more than tired faces. The warmth was a small comfort, and the crackling of the fire helped drown out the eerie silence of the forest night.

We settled into a rough circle around the fire, with our backs against trees and my eyes scanning the darkened forest. I just couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. It was an unsettling sensation that seemed to come with the darkness. My thoughts kept returning to that brat with the mint-green hair and the mocking laughter that followed. Is he still out there? Were we being followed?

Tavrin and Zilra were unusually quiet. They sat close together, which was surprising, as in any other scenario they would've been at their throats right then and there. They were probably just as exhausted and frustrated as I was. Judging from the looks on their faces at least.

I sighed.

"I didn't mean the things I said earlier, alright? Not all of them."

No response from either. They just kept on staring at the fire. I could see the reflection of it in both their eyes, the flickering shadows dancing across their faces. Unfortunately, the silence stretched on, heavy and uncomfortable. Tough crowd.

"What's your brother doing in Skyros anyways? Isn't that kind of... far away?" It was time to try for another angle.

Finally, Tavrin looked up, his gaze meeting mine for a brief, tired moment.

"I don't know. He just said he's there. Or was."

"Said? What, over the mind mail?" I scoffed.

"He sent a Teracent."

A Teracent? It wasn't the first time I'd heard of it, but I still had no clue what it was. Was that supposed to be some sort of express mail?

"So why didn't you go with him?" I pressed. For some reason I was invested. To be honest, it was kind of sad. I'd spent the better part of a year with these two, yet I barely knew anything about them. Well. It was my fault. I’d never really bothered to ask. Or talked to them much. Ha. I've become just like the old man for real.

"I couldn't. We got split... before I came to Juskarria. I don't know what happened to him after that. We've been apart for a long time now." Tavrin’s voice was heavy with a mix of regret and fatigue.

Zilra shifted slightly, as if to add her unspoken thoughts to the conversation. "That's stupid. You should’ve gone after him sooner. Family's everything."

Everything huh?

"Where's your family then?" Tavrin asked. I could hear the defensiveness in his voice. "If it's so important to you."

"I don't have to tell you!?" Zilra shot back. "You'll just be mean about it anyway!"

"No. I want to know." I said in attempt to mend the rift that was forming already. "If we’re all stuck here, we should at least try to understand each other a little. Only fair, don't you think?”

I looked at Rheka. She was thoroughly amused. It was clear she found our little argument somewhat entertaining. That girl was ever the spectator, always finding some odd amusement in the chaos around us.

Zilra pouted, crossing her arms. “Fine.” she huffed, clearly irritated but not entirely willing to let the topic drop. "My sisters are stupid. I hate them. And I hate my father too. They all treat me like I'm just some toy to play with. And my father doesn't even look at me." I could see the frustration and hurt in her eyes, the anger she tried to mask behind her defiant behaviour.

"And your mother?" Tavrin asked.

Zilra’s expression faltered, and she looked away. “She’s gone.” she said in a quiet tone.

"Oh. Well, if nothing else that makes two of us." he said, his voice soft but trying to sound comforting. “I lost my mother too.”

Wild. Both these kids didn't have a mother? This really is the medieval times after all! Jokes aside, I knew their pain. Obviously I grew up with neither of my parents. Or any family for that matter.

Silence returned, and with it came the awkwardness. The crackle of the fire was the only sound breaking the quiet, its warmth a small comfort against that damn chill of the night. Despite winter's end and the total absence of snow I was freezing. The cold was biting and pervasive. I definitely won't get a sleep in this night. Someone had to watch the damn fire after all. Shit was the only thing keeping us alive at this point.

Rheka sneezed. I could feel the migraine forming in both our heads. Why did I go through with this? I could be slumbering away in a heated room right now.

I'd have to conjure up a flame myself if things went awry with the fire. As if I bloody could. Not in this mess, anyway.

I tilted my head to take a peak at my newly improved bronzewood collar. Let's hope it wont come down to that. Rheka had exhausted her mana to the safe limit, I was certain of that. In my mind I could hear the old man's saying about the Mana Drought. I mimicked his voice in my head. The Drought is not a kind stranger! He loved to reiterate that.

"Tav. What did the old man say to you when we first met? In your weird language."

"Hmm? Oh. Vrintas said he knew my brother. And that he missed me."

I squinted my eyes. He did? That's... I mean, did he actually? Vrintas did know where Skyros was. Some Heraklean island of the millions of islands in the Chovolian Archipelago. If my map-memory served me right it would take some time to get that far. And I couldn't remember him leaving for longer than a couple days at most. He couldn't have gone there ever since... well, our birth. So either he had gone there prior to that or... he was simply lying. But to what end? As always, the old man's mind was an enigma.

I sighed. Then I shuddered as a gust of wind came over us. I could feel the cold creep into my bones. A sharp, relentless chill that made our breaths visible in the frosty air. I wondered what time it was. What Rheka's parents were doing right now. They must have been looking for us the whole day already.

I could feel the cold creeping up from the damp leafy forest ground, numbing all four of my legs even as I sat closest to the fire. The warmth from the flames was a welcome relief, but it felt like a fragile barrier against the relentless chill of the night.

“We should probably get some rest.” I said, trying to focus on the practicalities. As always.

The others nodded, their movements slow and deliberate.

With no makeshift bedding to speak of, we all gathered closer together for warmth, huddling around the fire as the cold pressed in from all sides. We nestled together, our bodies forming a tight, protective circle against the biting chill. Each of us shivered slightly, the cold seeping through our bodies despite our efforts to stay close. It wasn't much, but maybe it would help the others find some rest. There wouldn't be any for me, that's for sure. Not this night. God is it cold.

I looked up at the sky, but all I saw was a thick, oppressive blanket of clouds, swallowing any hint of stars.

This world... sure is strange.

Suddenly, a sharp noise cut through the silence. Hooves thudding against the forest floor, a murmur of voices, and the flicker of torches pierced through my foggy consciousness. I awoke, my heart pounding as I blinked into the void.

Bloody hell. Is this it?

Through the haze of my sleep, I could make out the silhouettes of riders and the soft glow of torches cutting through the darkness. I sat up abruptly, shaking off my drowsiness, eyes widening as I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Urs and Visla on horseback, several other villagers in tow.

“Thank Enkef - over here!” Urs’s bellowing voice rang out.

The brats stirred around me, their faces illuminated by the approaching light. Zilra blinked groggily, still shivering, while Rheka and Tavrin looked up, confused but hopeful.

Urs and Visla dismounted and hurried over, their concern plastered across their faces. “We were out searching for hours,” Visla said, her voice filled with relief as she knelt beside us. “We thought we’d lost you for good.” She squeezed Rheka tightly onto her.

“Come here.” Urs said, guiding us towards the waiting mounts and handing out blankets to everyone. The thick woolen fabric was a blessing. Then we were helped onto the horses. Finally, it was over.

As we began our journey back to the village, I made a silent vow to myself:

Never again would I willingly set foot in that cursed forest.