The cries and shouts of people filled the air as we were herded toward the stockade like cattle. My breath caught in my chest as I clutched the bundle Elisi had given me, the weight of it pressing against my ribs. I could still feel the imprint of that soldier’s hand from earlier, the way he had looked at me, touched me like I was nothing. The shame and anger churned in my gut, making me feel unsettled.
I shifted the bundle under my arm, but even that simple movement felt strange. I’d been tired before, plenty of times, but this wasn’t just exhaustion. It was the stress of everything—the soldiers and the journey ahead. I tried to shake it off.
We were just a few steps from where my parents and siblings were being led when the same soldier from earlier appeared again, his eyes scanning the crowd with a bored expression. He spotted me and Elisi, then barked out, “You two! Over here!” His voice was rough and commanding, offering no choice in the matter.
Before I could react, he was pulling us away from the rest of my family, shoving us toward a different line. His grip on my arm was hard, leaving no room for protest.
“Wait—what about my family?” I stammered, trying to keep up as he marched us forward.
“Follow orders,” he snapped, barely glancing at me. His eyes flicked past us like we were just another task he needed to check off his list. “Move along! You’ll catch up later.”
I tried to look back at my parents, at my brothers and sisters, but they were lost in the chaos of bodies being shoved and jostled toward the stockade. My stomach churned again, the anxiety of not knowing where my family was growing in intensity. I forced it down, gripping the bundle tighter as I followed the soldier’s orders.
Elisi said nothing, just gripped my arm tighter as we were forced toward the back of a cart being loaded with provisions for the journey. My mind raced, trying to hold onto the image of my family, but they were gone, swallowed up in the moving sea of people.
“Only the sick and elderly in the carts!” the soldier shouted, indicating only Elisi could ride, and I had to walk. Elisi decided she had the strength to keep moving on foot, so we continued forward as our group started the long journey west.
As we stepped on the path, forged by the steps of thousands of Cherokees who had already begun the trail, a hush fell over the people. I could feel the wind pick up, bringing me an earthy scent of cedar. It feels comforting yet charged with an unfamiliar energy, like the air before a storm.
Suddenly, I could hear faint whispers flowing through the air around me. They speak the language of the Cherokee, tsalagi. It sounded familiar yet archaic, resonating with a sense that it reaches back generations. The words carry a sense of urgency. The scent of cedar wrapped me in a protective blanket and enveloped me in the words that compelled me forward. ᏏᏓᏁᎸᎯ (si-da-ne-lv). I had never learned the Cherokee writing system, but I knew it meant family.
The whispers began to fade as I continued forward. I had to get back to my family, who were probably still back at the stockade waiting for the next group of soldiers to command their group forward.
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The first few hours on the trail blurred together. The air was thick with dust, and every step I took felt heavier than the last. My feet dragged through the dry earth, kicking up small clouds that clung to the back of my legs. The sun beat down, relentless, turning the sweat on my skin sticky, and the weight of the bundle I carried made my shoulders ache.
I glanced over at Elisi, my grandmother, who shuffled beside me, her cane digging into the ground with each careful step. I didn’t know how she managed it. She gripped my arm tightly, as if she was holding me up, not the other way around.
“We’ll find them again,” she said suddenly, her voice low and calm, as if she could sense the storm of worry swirling inside me. “We just need to keep moving for now. Trust the journey.”
My grandmother's words echo in my mind, mixing with the strange new awareness that has been growing since we left our home—like writing in the air that only I can see.
I nodded, even though my heart felt like it was breaking. Trust the journey. Elisi said that all the time, as if the journey was something we could rely on. But I didn’t know how much longer I could keep going—how much longer she could keep going.
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The soldiers barked orders up ahead, and we slowed to a halt. Another “rest” that wasn’t really a rest. Just time for the soldiers to regroup, to count heads and make sure no one had wandered off. Elisi nudged me toward a patch of shade beneath a scraggly tree. We sat down, and I watched her settle herself, her movements deliberate and slow.
“Come here,” she said, beckoning me closer. “I want to show you something.”
I wanted to protest, to tell her I didn’t have the energy for more of her lessons, but I held my tongue. It wasn’t that I didn’t care—I did. But the things she taught me always felt so far away, like they belonged to a different world that I didn’t quite fit into. I loved Elisi more than anything, but all her talk of spirits and listening to the land—it just never resonated with me the way it did with her.
I shuffled over, curious despite the exhaustion clouding my mind. “What is it?”
“Look at the people around you,” Elisi gestured to the crowd of people resting nearby, her hand sweeping across the sea of faces. “What do you see?”
I sighed, glancing around without much interest. “I see tired people. Hungry people. Same as us?”
Elisi shook her head. “No. Look closer. You see with your eyes, but you need to learn to see with your spirit.”
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All I saw were people, just as tired and hungry as I was. I sighed again, impatient and annoyed, but I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I knew she was trying to teach me something, but I just couldn’t understand.
I squinted, focusing harder on the people around us. They were more than just tired, I realized. There was something about the way their shoulders slumped, the way their breathing became shallow and uneven. It wasn’t just physical exhaustion weighing them down—it was something deeper, something that clung to their bones.
“You see it now, don’t you?” Elisi’s voice was soft, but firm. “It’s not just their bodies that are tired. Their spirits are worn, too. And you’ll need to know how to understand that if we’re going to survive.”
I blinked, my vision shifting. A faint glow seemed to surround certain people—subtle, but there. It was as if I could see their energy, their strength—or lack of it. My heart pounded in my chest.
Elisi smiled, the warmth of it steadying me. I looked at Elisi, but she just patted my hand, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“You’ve discovered a gift,” the sound of her voice filling my mind.
Before I could ask, the soldiers shouted again, their voices harsh and impatient. “Move it! No more resting! If you’re too slow, you’ll be left behind!”
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Nightfall came and we finally set up camp for the night, the cold was a sharp contrast to the heat of the day. The camp was a quiet murmur of whispers and the crackling of burning wood. My body ached from the days walk. I hadn’t eaten anything trying to preserve the little food we had. I felt lightheaded, but I had to tell myself it was nothing.
I sat by the fire, watching as Elisi carefully arranged our few belongings into something that resembled a shelter. She moved with purpose, even after everything.
“Pay attention,” she said, her voice gentle but firm.
I nodded, though my eyes were heavy with exhaustion. The fire crackled, casting long shadows that danced around us as the night deepened. Elisi began her evening prayers, and I joined in, my voice low and steady as we asked for protection. We did this every night, but tonight, it felt different. More urgent.
Exhausted, I watched the flames of the fire dance into my mind. They began to form into shapes and figures. Suddenly, amidst the crackling embers, I could see an owl feather. It began to glow with a power that seemed to bring it to life. It began to sway into the smoke rising out of the flames. I felt a shiver run down my spine. I must be tired, hungry, or something. As I reached for my bundle to grab some food, the feather in the smoke began to way gently toward the ground by the edge of the fire. I reached out to confirm I was seeing things.
As my fingertips brushed the edges of the feather, a warmth rushed through me. I grasped it by the tip and the world around me faded away. It was just me, the feather, and the fire. In the spiraling flames, I could see an owl looking back at me. It seemed to speak to me without words, imparting a profound understanding of my surroundings, urging me to observe the hidden signs of the land and people around me. Like the way Elisi was trying to show me earlier.
As I stared into its eyes, the world began to come back around me. I could smell the distinct smell of roasting meat on a nearby fire, and the sounds of everyone settling in for the night. My eyes stayed on the fire, with the feather still clutched in my hand, and I drifted into a much-needed sleep as I pondered what had just happened, understanding that I had to trust.
[New Skill Unlocked: Insight (Level 1)] Ability to assess conditions and see what others may not.
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A sudden cry pierced the quiet of the camp, jolting me awake. I turned to see a woman, a mother cradling her child. He was burning up with fever. I didn’t think—I just ran toward them, Elisi following close behind.
The mother’s eyes were wild, tears streaming down her face. “Please,” she sobbed, “Please help him.”
[Emergency Quest Activated: Save the Child] Time Limit: 2 hours, Failure: Decreased Group Morale, Possible Fatality
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I knelt beside the boy, my heart racing. I reached out instinctively, the child glowed with a subtle heat that strengthened as I got closer. His fever was dangerously high.
“Elisi, what do we do?” I asked, my voice shaky with panic.
Elisi didn’t hesitate. She was already pulling herbs from her pouch. “We need to cool him down first. Then we’ll pray for his spirit.”
I could feel the bundle of herbs radiating with warmth under my arm and somehow knew what each one was for. My hands shook as I fumbled for the bundle hidden beneath my blanket. I pulled it out, my fingers clumsy as I searched for the yarrow. Elisi guided me, her voice calm, steadying me as I worked.
“Crush the leaves,” she instructed.
I followed her instructions, my hands shaking as I mixed the herbs into a paste and applied it to the boy’s forehead. Elisi’s voice rose in prayer, her words soothing, rhythmic, as though they were wrapping the boy in a blanket. I joined in, feeling the power of the words flow through me.
The fever didn’t break right away, but the boy’s breathing began to steady, his body relaxing slightly in his mother’s arms. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
[New Skill Unlocked: Diagnosis (Level 1)] Ability to assess health status of others, Current range: Close proximity (Up to 5ft), Detectable conditions: Exhaustion, Dehydration
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By dawn, the camp was stirring, and the boy was breathing easier. I sat beside the dying embers of the fire, my thoughts heavy. I had saved a life. I wasn’t sure how I’d done it, but it had happened.
Elisi placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. No words are needed. We both knew this was only the beginning.
I patted her hand lightly, a part of me felt overwhelmed by the weight of what had just happened. There will be more trials ahead. But now, I had a glimpse of what we were capable of, if we just trust ourselves.
The soldiers were already shouting for us to start moving. I gather my bundle, still with the herbs and little food, and prepare myself for whatever this new day may bring.
[Chapter 2 Complete]
* Skills Gained: 2
* Quests Active: 1
* Story Progress: 33%
[Quest Completed: Save the Child] Reward: Diagnosis skill increased to Level 2
[Skill Level Up: Diagnosis (Level 2)] Ability to assess health status of others, Current range: Up to 30 ft, Detectable conditions: Exhaustion, Dehydration, Malnutrition, Fever, Injury (minor wounds)
[Cultural Preservation]:
* [ᏣᎳᎩ (Tsa-la-gi) word learned: ᏏᏓᏁᎸᎯ (si-da-ne-lv) - Family]
* You’ve preserved a piece of your heritage
[Hidden Debuff: ???]
* Effects unknown
* Duration unknown
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[Quest Progress: Trail of Tears]
* Objective: Survive and complete the forced journey without losing essential knowledge and resources.
* Complete: 0.01%