The morning sun bathed the landscape in warmth, casting a golden glow over the vibrant green trees that swayed gently in the breeze.
A river babbled nearby, and the air was filled with the cheerful sounds of birds chirping, deer grazing peacefully, rabbits bounding through the grass, and frogs croaking their morning song.
Suddenly, Kazaks hurled his war hammer high into the air. It landed with a thud right next to a startled deer, sending the entire herd bounding away in a flurry of panic.
“ARGH!! HOW COULD I MISS THAT?!”
Yzavynne, who had been trailing behind, caught up and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“Aww, mighty Kazaks, feeling frustrated already?”
Kazaks shrugged her off, a fierce glare on his face.
“Hands off, lusty woman! I’m here to prove I’m the second strongest among us warriors of the Sins.”
Yzavynne raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips.
“Hmm? Trying to prove something, are we, mighty Kazaks? You know, just yelling doesn’t make it true.”
“Of course! It is I, Kazaks! The Warrior of Wrath! I am the second strongest—”
Before he could finish, an arrow zipped by, barely missing Kazaks’ ear.
Both he and Yzavynne froze, eyes wide in shock.
The arrow found its mark, landing squarely in the side of a deer that had lingered too long, bringing it down instantly.
Kazaks turned to Yzavynne, a mix of astonishment and anger on his face.
“What just happened?! Did someone shoo— oh, be careful for once, Leeani!!”
Leeani, standing a little distance away, let out a loud war cry, celebrating her successful shot at the deer while still looking backward.
“See? I’ve mastered the art of shooting backwards! Useless in practice, but great for impressing people!”
Jiighual looked up at Leeani, amazed by her marksmanship.
“Damn! Leeani! You sure are one hell of a marksman! How did you even pull that off?”
With a proud grin, Leeani turned to them, her chest puffed out.
“It takes skill and a little bit of luck! But really, it’s all about believing you can hit your target, even when you’re not looking!”
Kazaks, still a bit rattled, crossed his arms.
“Next time, can you aim forward? It’s a bit more useful in a hunt, you know.”
Leeani laughed, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
“But where’s the fun in that? Besides, I think my aim is pretty impressive. Aren’t you just a little bit jealous?”
“Jealous? Not at all! I’m just motivated to do better next time!”
Yzavynne leaned closer to Kazaks, smirking again.
“Oh, we all know you want to be the best. But maybe we should let Leeani take the lead on this one? Clearly, she knows how to get the job done!”
Kazaks shot her a playful glare.
“Fine! But don’t think I’ll go easy on you two! I’ll catch the next one, mark my words!”
----------------------------------------
A short distance away, Nert lay sprawled out in the grass, a small bunny nestled in his hand.
He gently stroked its fur, smiling lazily.
“Aren’t you just the cutest little thing... or should I say,MisterBunny?”
He gave a squint of mock seriousness.
“But wait—how old are you? I mean, if you’re like ababybunny, I should probably be calling you ‘Little Sir’ or something... Eh, we’ll figure that out later.”
He let out a lazy sigh, giving the rabbit a little scratch under its chin.
“For now, let’s just be lazy together. Haughh!”
The bunny’s nose twitched as it eyed him, clearly trying to wriggle free.
Nert chuckled, half-lidded eyes following it.
“I know, I know—you’re scared of me, but don’t worry. I don’t bite. I mean, not usually.”
With a yawn, Nert settled back into the grass, slowly dozing off, his grip loosening as the bunny wriggled to get free.
Just as his eyes fluttered shut, a loud thud echoed through the forest, jolting him awake. He jumped, and the startled bunny slipped out of his hand, darting down into a nearby burrow.
Nert groaned, reaching a hand out in vain.
“Ah! My ears! Wait! Hey, bunny, don’t go!”
Kazaks stormed onto the scene, heading toward his war hammer lodged in the ground.
He paused when he saw Nert.
“Nert! Didn’t know you were out here. What’re you doing anyway?”
Nert shrugged, rubbing his ear as he recovered from the noise.
“Good question. I was having a conversation with the reason I’m here in the first place,”
He gazes at the burrow where the bunny had disappeared.
Kazaks raised a brow, clearly puzzled.
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
Nert gave an exaggerated sigh, sinking back into the grass.
“Just my luck, trying to catch a break, you know? But then,BOOM—someone had to go and nearly split my eardrums with that hammer. So yeah, just leave me in peace for a few more minutes, alright?”
Kazaks chuckled, shaking his head.
“Fine, fine. I’ll grab my hammer and leave you to... whatever it is you’re doing here. But don’t get too cozy; we’ve got more walking ahead of us.”
Nert gave a lazy wave.
“Yeah, yeah, more marching. Guess I’ll take what I can get, even if it’s only a little slice of quiet.”
Kazaks grinned, lifting his war hammer from the ground.
“Well, enjoy your ‘slice’ while you can. We’re heading out soon.”
With a final nod, Kazaks turned and walked off, leaving Nert to his peaceful moment.
Nert watched him go, then lay back again with a satisfied sigh, mumbling,
“Nothing like a little peace. Even if it never lasts.”
----------------------------------------
Zach crouched low, taking in the open landscape stretching out before him.
The dense rainforest was behind him now, replaced by vast fields of rolling grass and colorful wildflowers swaying gently in the wind.
He traced a hand over the ground, feeling the earth beneath his fingers.
“Flat land. This would be a perfect spot. Good soil for planting. Space to build a farm, maybe even houses, a whole village.”
Stolen novel; please report.
He trailed off, his voice softer as he imagined it.
For a moment, the harshness in his eyes softened, a glimmer of something else breaking through.
His gaze swept over the fields, catching on the vibrant green of the grass and the bright colors of the flowers dotting the landscape.
A faint smile, almost wistful, crossed his face.
“To build a village. A place to make something... lasting.”
He paused, then gave a small, hollow chuckle.
“A life built on peace. Who’d have thought, huh?”
He brushed a hand through the grass, letting the blades slip through his fingers like memories he couldn’t hold onto.
“A village, somewhere safe, somewhere real. That would be something worth fighting for.”
He stood there for a moment, letting the dream settle deep within him, quiet but unyielding.
There was a determination in his eyes that hadn’t been there before, a sense of purpose that flickered in the weight of those words.
With a final glance over the fields, he straightened up, his face hardening again.
He whispered, almost to himself.
“Someday, I’ll make this dream real. Not just for me, but for everyone who needs a home.”
As he turned away, the vision of the village he dreamed of remained vivid, tucked away as a promise to himself.
----------------------------------------
Ruby wandered through the field, her thoughts drifted along with her footsteps.
She plucked each flower gently, holding them as if they were pieces of something fragile and precious.
Her voice, barely above a whisper, carried her soft words to the open air as she talked to herself.
“Sunflowers. Always so bright and bold. You’re the sunshine flowers, aren’t you?”
She chuckled softly to herself, running her fingers along the sunflower petals before adding it to her gathering.
“You know, I think he could use a bit of sunshine. Even if he’ll never say it.”
Ruby wandered through the field, gently brushing her fingers along the soft grasses and plucking wildflowers as she went.
Just then, she noticed Zach, standing off in the distance, lost in thought as he stared across the open landscape.
His expression was a mix of longing and sorrow, and Ruby could sense the weight on his shoulders.
She moved along, her eyes catching sight of tiny white daisies nestled between blades of grass.
“Daisies. Sweet and simple. A little kindness never hurt anyone, right? Maybe he needs that too.”
Her fingers danced around each stem, weaving them carefully, her touch gentle as if she were handling something delicate.
“Sometimes, I wonder if he even lets himself see the gentle things anymore.”
Then, as she spotted a patch of forget-me-nots, a smile bloomed on her face, warmer and deeper.
“Forget-me-nots. A reminder of all the good things, maybe.”
She plucked them with care, thinking of how much Zach held inside, all the memories he locked away, as if they might weigh him down.
“Maybe a little reminder of something beautiful wouldn’t be so bad for him.”
When she saw the rose, she chuckled to herself, eyes glimmering with mischief.
“Ah, the rose. Strong, bold, and sharp, but still so beautiful. He’s got a thorny side too, doesn’t he? But that’s okay. Maybe he’s the rose, and I’m just here trying not to get pricked.”
As she looked over her bouquet, she whispered to herself with a fond sigh,
“Maybe he thinks he doesn’t deserve all this, all these little moments. But he does. We all deserve a little bit of peace, don’t we?”
Just then, she caught sight of a sprig of lavender. She touched it with the tip of her fingers, thinking about how much it stood for peace and calmness.
“Lavender. A little bit of calm if he’ll let himself take it.”
She tied it all together with a thin blade of grass, binding each flower into a small, colorful bouquet.
As she held it close to her chest, she closed her eyes, murmuring softly.
“Alright, Ruby. Let’s go show him he doesn’t always have to carry things alone. A little color, a little beauty. We can be that, if he’ll let us.”
She stepped lightly, crouching behind a bush to avoid being seen.
With every step, her heart fluttered, the flowers held close to her chest.
As she neared, she took a deep breath, then slipped out from the cover of the bush, holding the bouquet up like a quiet offering.
She called softly, her voice tender.
“Zach.”
He turned, eyes widening in surprise at the bright bouquet she held out.
For a moment, he simply stared, taken aback by the unexpected gift.
“These are for you,” she said, smiling as she extended her hand toward him.
“I thought they’d look better in your hands than on the ground.”
Zach’s hardened expression softened as he reached for the flowers, his fingers grazing hers.
There was a warmth in his eyes now, and for a second.
The weight he carried seemed to lift just a little.
He held the bouquet with an unexpected gentleness, as though it were something fragile and precious.
“Thank you, Ruby. You didn’t have to...”
“I know. But sometimes, we all need a little color, right?”
He looked down at the bouquet, then back up at her, an unspoken gratitude shimmering in his gaze.
In that moment, with the flowers between them and the sun shining warmly over the field, they shared a quiet understanding—a promise of comfort and kindness in a world that had shown them so little.
Zach murmured, a faint smile breaking through his usually stoic expression.
“Guess this means you’re my reminder of the good things.”
Ruby’s cheeks flushed, and she laughed softly, her heart light.
“Then I’ll keep bringing you flowers, Zach. As long as it makes you smile, I’ll keep doing it.”
They stood there, the silence between them not of emptiness, but of quiet peace.
The bouquet in Zach’s hands held more than flowers.
It was a gesture, a bond, and a reminder that no matter how dark things became, someone would be there to share a little light.
Zach smiled faintly, then looked out at the open field.
“It’s strange, you know. All of us, each one of us with our own world inside. And yet, we’re bound together, somehow. Kazaks, with all that rage, like a storm. Jiighual, he’s got that restlessness, like he’s searching for something he’s not sure he’ll ever find. Yzavynne, always charming her way through, but I think there’s a lot more to her than she lets on.”
Ruby nodded, following his gaze, as though seeing each of their friends before them.
“And Leeani, always so bold and sure of herself. She acts tough, but there’s something underneath it, like she’s guarding a part of herself that’s softer, maybe a bit afraid. Then there’s Nert, that lazy spirit of his is almost like a calm anchor. Sometimes, I think he’s more grounded than any of us, just in his own way.”
Zach chuckled, a rare sound, his eyes softening as he looked at Ruby.
“They’re something, aren’t they? You see them all like that—like these flowers you picked. Each one has a purpose, even if it doesn’t fit with the others at first.”
Ruby tilted her head, smiling at him.
“I think we’re all still just kids inside. Just kids trying to figure out this world, finding our place, holding onto whatever innocence we can. And it’s strange, growing up, feeling like you have to be something more. When maybe we just want to be ourselves.”
He looked at her, his expression softening even more.
“Sometimes, Ruby, I wonder if I even know who I am anymore.”
Ruby’s hand moved to rest on his shoulder, her voice gentle but steady.
“That’s okay, Zach. I don’t think any of us really do. Kazaks hides behind his strength, Jiighual keeps running, Yzavynne distracts herself with others, Leeani puts up walls, and Nert. Well, he just pretends he doesn’t care. But deep down? We’re all just figuring it out and we’re doing it together.”
Zach looked at her, touched by her words.
“You really think there’s more to us than what we do? More than whatever we’re trying to prove? I almost forget sometimes that we were just kids back then—no plans, no grand causes, just figuring out who we were.”
She nodded, her eyes filled with quiet confidence.
“I do. And I think, in some way, we’re all looking for a place where we can just be. Just exist without all the weight we carry. Back when you first took us in. We barely knew how to hold a sword, let alone fight. But you believed in each of us, even when we didn’t believe in ourselves.”
She looked back at the bouquet, her fingers brushing over a sunflower.
“Maybe we’re not meant to have it all figured out. Maybe just being here, for each other, is what matters.”
Zach exhaled, something in him softening, like a knot unraveling.
“Thank you, Ruby. For this. For seeing all of us, not just the parts we show.”
She squeezed his hand gently, her gaze steady and full of warmth.
“We’re all broken in some way, but it’s those cracks that let the light in, right? I think that’s why we need each other.”
“Yeah. I guess you’re right. And maybe, maybe that’s enough for no—”
A sudden shout pierced the calm air.
“Captain! There’s a loud creature coming our way!”
Zach and Ruby whipped around to see Nert frantically waving, with the others clustered anxiously behind him.
The quiet moment was over.
Zach and Ruby jogged up to the group, the bouquet of flowers still clutched in Zach’s hand.
“What’s happening, Nert?”
Nert’s voice held a rare note of concern, and he glanced at the trees, which seemed to tremble as if something colossal lurked just beyond them.
“A massive creature—huge footsteps heading right toward us. It’s stopped for now, but it’s close!”
Kazaks, gripping his warhammer, muttered under his breath.
“Can’t even have five minutes of peace without something wrecking it. Just perfect! Captain Zach, what are your orders?”
Zach scanned each of their faces, reading the tension in their expressions.
But he noticed Jiighual and Nert looked particularly worn out, still pale from the lingering effects of the poison that hadn’t fully left their systems.
Even Yzavynne, normally a vision of calm, looked rattled.
“Nert, Jiighual, Yzavynne, and Ruby. I want the four of you to stay back and move farther ahead. Keep going forward as fast as you can. Kazaks and Leeani, you’re with me—we’re holding this creature off, at least long enough to give the others a head start.”
Yzavynne crossed her arms, a hint of a smirk tugging at her lips.
“Oh, so I get to skip the fight? Maybe you’re getting soft, Zach.”
“Not this time, Yzavynne. We’re too vulnerable out in the open, and I need you to make sure everyone keeps moving forward.”
Jiighual took a step back, reluctant but obedient.
“Alright, Captain.”
Kazaks tightened his grip, rolling his shoulders.
“Finally, something to smash. I’ll take point.”
Leeani gave a quick nod, already pulling an arrow from her quiver.
“Let’s just keep it off us long enough to regroup on the other side.”
Zach looked them over one last time, nodding.
“Let’s make it count. Whatever’s out there, we keep it back until everyone’s clear. We’re a team, and we’re not leaving anyone behind. Got it?”
Everyone gave a determined nod, a shared understanding passing between them.
Kazaks grinned as he took his stance.
“Alright, Captain Zach. Time to show whatever’s out there why it messed with the wrong team.”
----------------------------------------
Nert, Jiighual, Yzavynne, and Ruby ran north, each step pulling them further away from Zach, Kazaks, and Leeani.
They kept glancing over their shoulders, struggling to hold back the worry flickering in their eyes.
Ruby gripped the bouquet she had given to Zach earlier, holding it close to her chest like a fragile promise.
She whispered softly, almost as if the forest itself would carry her words to those they had left behind.
“This separation, it’s only temporary. Stay safe.”
Jiighual’s usual bravado was muted, his gaze distant.
“Didn’t think we’d be running off without them. Feels wrong.”
Yzavynne looked over, her face softening.
“They’ll hold their own. They always do.”
Nert jogged beside them, his usual laziness replaced by a rare seriousness.
“It’s weird, you know. All these years together, and it’s like when we split like this, it feels like I’ve left a part of myself back there.”
Ruby nodded, her eyes glistening as she clutched the bouquet tightly.
“We’ll meet up again. I know we will.”
As they continued, a quiet tension lingered in the air, each heartbeat a reminder of those they left behind.
Ruby’s fingers trembled as she adjusted her grip on the bouquet, her eyes still on the path ahead.
Just then, Yzavynne’s voice broke the silence, a faint smirk tugging at her lips as she glanced at Ruby.
“Don’t worry too much, alright? Kazaks is the second strongest among us Warriors of the Sins, anyway.”
Nert, ever the grounded one, added his own reassurance, his voice steady even in the chaos.
“Don’t forget who’s out there leading them. Our captain, he’s more than strength. If there’s one thing to fear in that forest today—”
“It’s him.”