Kenu, still pinned beneath the, now headless, soldier and slumped over beast could only watch in awe as the cloud began to recede. The still circling shadows of other atrocities hidden in the fog fell back with the emerald fog, slinking back into the woods. Green seeped away from the forest leaving decay and death in its wake. Every leaf, every tree, every blade of grass. Dead.

Only grey and black was left around her. Kenu heard the yell of her brother before she saw him.

“Kahi!” She shouted as loud as she could with the weight of the two corpses still crushing her ribs. “Over here!”

Kahi sprinted out between the grey husks of dead leaves and wood. Sword in hand, black blood smeared across his face and torso, he looked ferocious and ready to kill. Tossing his sword aside he launched himself at the two corpses on top of Kenu. With his immense strength he quickly had her free and instantly wrapped her tight in a hug.

“Are you okay?” He said through a lump in his throat.

With tears streaming down her face, she managed to croak out “Yeah, I’m fine.”

He held her at arm’s length. Head tilted as he looked into her eyes. Something was off.

“Kenu what happened?”

She wanted to tell him. So badly. But something stopped her, and she could not, would not, bring herself to say it, no matter how hard she tried.

“I’m fine, I promise.” She tried her best to put on a brave face. “Just a close call, that’s all.”

Kahi didn’t believe her for a second. But he could see the trauma in her eyes and couldn’t force himself to pursue it.

He cleared his throat while walking over to the bodies and said, “How did you two get so far away from us?”

“I-I’m not entirely sure, actually.” A wave of relief washed over her as the topic changed. “We were right beside each other when the green cloud washed over us.”

Stolen novel; please report.

“Green?” Kahi mumbled under his breath as he prodded at the grotesque form of the decaying beast.

Kenu walked up beside him. “These things. These beasts, they aren’t something I’ve ever seen out hunting.”

Kneeling beside the corpse Kaihau inspected it thoroughly. With the cloud of emerald now cleared the abomination was revealed in daylight. He poked and prodded carefully, studying it intently. It had a wolf’s body and stature, but that’s about where the similarities ended. With its grotesque mutilated maw, filled with tentacles and teeth, large protruding claws that curled viciously, and decaying dead body, it was a true corruption of nature.

Dante had followed Kahi out of the forest but had stood far away as he left the siblings to their reunion. Now he perked up at the conversation.

“It was dead. Long before you stabbed it.” He said, eyes meeting Kenu’s.

She paused for a second. “It sure didn’t act dead when it ripped off your soldier’s head.”

Her anger at him for tearing her and her brother from their home had not subsided by their shared ordeal or trauma. She saw the jagged scar across his face, blood dripping from it even now, but made a point not to mention it.

“He was right next to me a second before it hit, I know it.” He mumbled as he walked towards the decapitated head of his fallen soldier. Tossed aside like an afterthought. Dante took off his helm and knelt before his soldier. He had failed him.

“Why the hell did it stop?” Kahi said quietly.

Dante and Kenu glanced at him.

“The cloud. Why did it stop?” He pondered aloud meeting their eyes. “We were severely outnumbered. Why aren’t we dead right now? Why did the cloud just fade away?”

“And the death and decay that followed wherever it touched?” Kenu followed up, gesturing around her.

As Kahi looked around it struck him. The forest. It looked exactly like it did in his dream. Death, decay, corruption. It was identical.

The death of life itself.

They all paused to look around at the unbelievable sight.

“Huh… no clue.” Dante said with a shrug. “Now let’s leave before it decides to come back.”

He barely had time to step forward before he was interrupted.

“Wait.” Kenu commanded.

Kahi stood up from the dead beast’s corpse. “We deserve an explanation. Now.”

Kenu nodded in agreement. It was about time they found out why they were taken from their home, spontaneously overrun, and attacked by a cloud of green fog. A cloud of death and decay that carried with it twisted, mutated wolves that had been long dead.

Dante grunted in response. “We need to find somewhere to make camp, and get out of here-”

“No.”

Kenu and Dante turned toward Kahi.

“Fine, the explanation can wait for camp, but we can’t leave. Not before we bury the fallen.” He gestured to the headless corpse. “By the looks of it, this poor guy saved Kenu.”

“And the other gave his life protecting us. They deserve a proper burial.” He said, eyes unwavering, daring Dante to challenge him.

“Great.” He said with a sigh. “Let’s get to it then, I want to be out of this damn forest before nightfall.”