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.

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"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."