The rest of the journey had been far less eventful though there was a moment when they saw some dolphins swimming alongside them that made them all feel nervous. The captain signalled that the island had come into view and people had moved to the front of the ship to see. Most of the inky blood from the creature had been washed away by the crew that were diligent in their care of the ship. The damages were superficial though there would be further checks once docked.

His nerves were rising as he walked to the bow of the ship but Keira ran past him, excited to see his homeland. There was no mistaking the island, no doubting the name which meant abundant waterfalls. Tall mountains that stretched to the clouds stood in the distance while most of the coast held high cliffs. From this point and angle alone they could count three large waterfalls that dropped into the ocean with spectacular flourishes of spray.

The ship was heading towards a large bay that opened up into the island and although it was still too far out to see any details, they could tell there were buildings and activity near the shore. There had been many more birds appearing as they got closer, the coastal gulls that flocked to the cliffs filled the entire left side. The natural stone walls were coated in white specks and as they got closer they could start to make out the sound of thousands cawing at one another.

When he caught up to Keira, she was practically bouncing on the spot. “It’s beautiful!”

“It really is, I didn’t know what to expect, but I wasn’t expecting this,” replied William.

He was struggling to match their enthusiasm though he couldn’t deny the natural beauty of the island. Between the free-flowing water, extravagant cliffs and the lush greenery, it was a natural paradise. The sky was still bright and clear; though the sun was on the opposite side of its highest point, it still glistened across the waves and made the waterfalls sparkle.

That beauty only made it harder as he remembered how he felt the night he fled this place, the night of the evacuation and all that he left behind. Even more, he knew there were questions that might be answered here and those answers scared him.

“It only gets better as you go inland,” he said, trying to be positive against his feelings.

The docking process took a lot longer than he expected and they all seemed to be waiting on the deck with growing impatience. Sara had quelled the rumours of what had happened and explained that everything was alright to the others, though she left out many details, particularly around the size of the creature. That knowledge of what happened made everyone want to get to the safety of dry land.

The idea that the island was safer than the ocean was almost oxymoronic to him. They could already feel the miasma and he knew it was only going to get worse as they moved to the camp. Keira had responded in a similar manner when they first felt it. There was an unease, a reminder of the station and the events that took place there that neither of them were entirely over.

The others in the section who hadn’t experienced the miasma directly before were talking about the sensation; the feeling of exhaustion and the weight and pressure that drained their bodies. While it brought back uncomfortable feelings and memories, it also felt lighter than the miasma in the mountains, even at the outer edges which he hoped was a good sign.

“It’s a very uncomfortable feeling,” said William as they stood by the railing of the ship, waiting for it to finish docking.

“You’ll get used to it,” replied Keira.

“I just feel heavy.”

“It’s not as bad as the mountains, even when we first felt it,” she said, turning to Finlay.

“I was thinking the same, that has to be a good sign—right?”

She forced a smile and he could tell she was as uncomfortable as he was. William looked as though he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. He didn't need to as the announcement came that they were ready to depart.

There was a rush of people that showed the desperation was getting to them more than they might have let on. He followed Keira down the walkway with every step feeling heavier. There were many more people at the dock than he expected and he wasn’t sure if they were all guild members or like the crew of the ship. When he reached the bottom of the walkway, he hesitated, almost unable to take the final step onto the island itself.

There was a growing frustration behind him and as he heard the complaints he pushed himself forward but when he did, as soon as his foot touched the ground, he heard it. Laughter, a child filled with glee—it sounded like his sister. He spun around in search of the source but it disappeared as quickly as it came and the other members of his section scowled at him with increasing frustration.

“Are you okay?” Keira said, turning to him.

“Yeah, just my mind playing tricks on me or something.”

He pushed the thought away; it must have been his imagination, his fear getting the better of him. The stress of returning here and the questions held in the back of his mind throughout the entire voyage had become a little too much.

The group followed Sara as she led them through the dock towards a large pole marquee that was set up as a quick shelter. With every step he felt the urge to look over his shoulder. He couldn’t explain why but was sure it was only because he was here and not completely over his trauma. He could hear the others behind him whispering, muttering in confused annoyance as he darted around in search of something that wasn’t there, but when asked, he couldn’t explain why.

Once they got inside, he struggled to settle as the group gathered around Sara. Keira touched his shoulder and looked at him, searching for an answer, questioning if he was really alright but he couldn’t say any more than he was fine. He couldn’t explain the feeling, it was frustrating and he just wanted to shake it free.

He heard it again, somewhere in the distance, somewhere behind him was the laughter of a child. It was too much like his sister to be a coincidence but he also knew the idea of her being there was ridiculous. Sara was explaining to the group that they’d be trekking a short journey to the main campsite but he couldn’t focus as he was busy searching for some sense of where the laughter was coming from.

But then he heard another sound, even more than that, he felt it. The spirit in the amulet, the beating of its heart resonated and he clasped it with one hand. There was a faint glow, not enough for others to really notice though it appeared to catch Sara’s eye. She didn’t break her speech but lingered on him for a moment. But it wasn’t necessary as he started to feel calmer, the laughter vanished and the fear and panic that had been spreading through his body dissipated.

His shoulders slumped as his body relaxed and Keira noticed the change. “Little amulet spirit calming you down?”

“Yeah, it’s the best.”

“Good, you can tell me what was going on later, okay? And well done little spirit, you’re always saving our sanity.”

He looked down and gave a silent thanks to the spirit in the amulet which responded with the warmth that he was sure meant it was happy. As Sara finished explaining where they were going, Ronan and Faye appeared behind them. She had managed to clean herself up and looked to be in a far better mood than she was earlier. Ronan was his usual self and busy enjoying whatever conversation they appeared to be having. He suspected it was at her expense but she was now too pleased at being clean to care.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Now that we’re all here, everyone grab your things and we'll be off,” Sara concluded.

It wasn’t long before people started to struggle on the hike. Everyone was carrying enough luggage and equipment to last them several weeks and more importantly, the miasma had gotten worse as they moved away from the water. It was the first time many had experienced it and they hadn’t been prepared for how much it would affect both their physical and mental state.

But this was part of their training and Faye was marching them along from behind as Sara led the way. Now that the amulet had calmed him down, he was feeling much more energetic and as he and Keira had both experienced much worse, they were handling the miasma better than the others. William was fairing well enough though he suspected that was forced positivity to keep up with them rather than him feeling good.

Keira was enthralled by the beauty of the scenery. The land was lush and open, filled with flowers of vibrant colour and trees that stood tall against the cool wind which rushed back towards the ocean. Nearby they could hear a river flow and animals of all shapes and sizes danced away from them when they approached.

“Are there any predators around here, no one better get eaten by a tiger,” one of the boys behind him shouted.

There was some laughter and a girl responded. “It’s not tigers you need to worry about, it’s the snakes.”

“Snakes—really, like poisonous ones?” Another responded.

“That would be venomous, and no, there aren’t any snakes you need to worry about here,” Ronan replied as he walked up the side of the group.

“You lot are worried about snakes and tigers instead of the demons that dominate this place, boy did I pick the right section,” Faye shouted from behind, laughing at them.

The conversation continued which seemed to lighten the general mood, helping everyone deal with the miasma and walk better. Ronan continued to make his way past the group until he was beside Finlay.

“How are you feeling, coming back here must be difficult?”

“I was struggling when I first got off the boat by my spirit,” he touched the amulet without thinking. “It helped calm me down and I’m okay now.”

“Interesting—your relationship with your spirit continues to fascinate me.”

“I still feel a little strange being here but this wasn’t really the area I lived in so, at least for now, it’s not too bad.”

“Unfortunately, I suspect that might change.”

He had already realised they were walking towards his village but he hoped they were far enough away that they’d stop long before reaching it.

“Are we going to be very close?”

“The village itself is too far into the miasma that you won’t be going there during this trip, but we will be getting quite close. Of course, I don’t know much of your past or if you ever ventured into the area we’ll be going.”

“It seems likely, we travelled around the island a lot. My mother, I remember her taking us out often and we’d go camping and exploring. I don’t think I can escape the fact I’ll be going to places that I remember from back then.”

“You’re thinking about it all wrong,” Keira said. “You should be excited that you get to show me all the cool places your mother showed you as a kid.”

“You’re right, positive perspective.”

“A good mindset to have, keep her close,” Ronan replied, giving Keira a smile. ”You also have us here; if anything unusual happens, you really should tell us—for your own sake as much as anything.”

“That’s almost reassuring—unusual coming from you.”

“You’re starting to sound like Sara, I should never have agreed to her coming, she’s going to teach you all bad habits.”

He marched forward before they could respond as he seemed determined to confront Sara over the guidance she offered in opposition to him. But it was very reassuring to have it said, and as he looked between Keira, Sara and Ronan, knowing Faye was behind them, he felt much better about being here and not being alone.

They continued with only the occasional grumble and complaint as the worst problem until they found a large clearing with a structure in the middle of it. There was a river running nearby and at the other side a woodland that extended up towards a mountain range. It wasn’t dissimilar to the northern mountains of the mainland but this building was no small signal shack. While it looked temporary, a structure built for practicality rather than any aesthetic, it was solid and protective.

The steel structure was set up as temporary accommodation; a base point for the guild to continue with more advanced operations in the area and would be a staging zone for their continued training under the strain of the miasma. A few people cheered and rushed forward when Sara announced this would be their destination. It didn’t seem like there was anyone else here; he had suspected there would be other guild members in the vicinity but if they were, they were out on a mission.

He was thankful that he wasn’t familiar with the area but as he looked over the river to the woodlands, he realised he had been there before. It wasn’t a strong memory and he didn’t think he ever crossed the river but he had definitely gone through that woodland from the mountains that stretched out at the other side.

The thought alone brought back a moment of hesitation and worry but it wasn’t enough to start the panic and dread he felt before. Instead, he made a conscious effort to note each of the people with him, focusing on his friends, Keira and William and then on the three instructors. He wasn’t here alone, he was with them and he was safe.

He pushed forward and joined the others as they started to look through the building. A few were rushing around each room trying to find whatever one they thought was best based on criteria he couldn’t decipher. They all seemed the same to him so he was happy to let the others decide as there were more than enough for all of them to have some space and privacy. Neither of which were things he particularly wanted while he was here.

Keira seemed uncertain as they walked through the rooms and a thought popped into his head. “You have no intention of sleeping in your own room, do you?”

“None whatsoever.”

“So you’re trying to find a bigger room?”

“Nope, trying to find one that won’t have anyone notice or ask us questions.”

He couldn’t help but burst out in laughter when he saw William’s face. Keira spun around to see what happened and William blushed as red as he had ever done before. She shook her head and turned to continue her search.

“I’m guessing you don’t want to be alone here either,” she said over her shoulder.

“Well you’re not wrong there, I guess this time it’s as much for my benefit.”

They set up in one of the far sides that was opposite to where most of the others had gathered and deliberately placed William between them and anyone else. He seemed quite uncomfortable as they arranged everything but became even more flustered when Keira asked if he wanted to stay with them as well.

“We’ll pull all the beds together and share one giant space, it’ll be cosy.”

“That’s alright, I’ll just sleep in my own room...”

She laughed at him and he wasn’t sure if she was being deliberately naive or just enjoyed messing with him. They spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking and settling into the building. After everyone was ready, they started to explore the nearby area but on Faye’s orders, they were to stay very close.

As the evening rolled in, they all gathered in a main room that was big enough to fit everyone as they were all starving and Sara had announced she was preparing a meal for them. It was comfortable, even though they all felt the gentle push of the miasma, and the trip had exhausted them, eating together in this moment felt good.

After the meal, as the night sky started to darken, they were told to stay inside the building. This wasn’t a problem as everyone was ready to crawl into their beds. They left William in his room and got ready to sleep on the beds they had prepared in the other.

“Want to place a bet on who’s going to wake up first from traumatic nightmares?” Keira joked.

“I think I have you beat while we’re here.”

“Maybe, but this miasma is bringing back all kinds of uncomfortable feelings and memories for me.”

“You’ll be okay, we have my wonderful little amulet spirit to protect us after all.”

“That’s true, alright—are you sure you don't want to talk more about what happened earlier?"

"Not right now, I'm tired and honestly, I'm okay now."

"Okay, if you're sure then goodnight and goodnight little spirit, do keep us safe.”

“Goodnight, Keira.”

He lay on the bed and closed his eyes. As he drifted in and out of consciousness on the verge of falling asleep, he was comfortable and happy but then, just as before, he heard the sound of a child’s laughter.