They didn’t have to run far before the rot sprites lost interest in them. The mossy bubbles were stationary once more. Manny and Augustus looked at each other as Calla tried to regain her breath. Though the rot sprites didn’t move that fast, she found the way they steadily moved in her direction terrifying. Seirye had begun to hum a song that Calla had never heard before.

“Let me test a theory quickly. Come in Augustus.” Manny started to walk towards the rot sprites.

Augustus looked at her and Seirye. “We’ll be right back.”

Calla was worried that as the two walked towards the sprites, they would be chased again, but they came within a foot of one of the bubbles before stopping. It was one of the larger bubbles, one of the ones that had only stopped chasing them. It was stationary, and it didn’t move at all when the puppet and the wolf got close to it.

They came back quickly. Manny gave a nod. “Just as I thought.”

“What?” Calla asked quietly.

“The rot sprites go after two things. They go after rot and waste, and they go after things, not from the forest.”

“I thought they only went after rot and stuff,” Augustus asked.

“I thought that too, but the fact they chased us proves there is more that they will go after. When we went back over none of them reacted like anyone would expect. I think Seirye would be the same, but it’s harder to test with her because of how she is.”

“What do you mean? I could have done it.” Seirye mumbled. Her cloudy face frowned a great frown.

Manny looked at her. “You’re intangible and the air that makes you up is spread over a good distance. If they were coming after you, they would be doing so already.”

“Oh…”

Calla raised an eyebrow. “How big is Seirye?”

“How rude!” the cloudy face turned a dark grey and some lighting could be seen within.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Manny ignored the wind sprite. “The air that makes her up can be found as far as the other side of the trampled strip. That’s the radius.”

“That’s why it’s rare to see more than one wind sprite in the same area,” Augustus added.

Seirye’s cloudy face quickly went back to its normal state and she grinned. “There aren’t that many of us, that makes me even more rare.”

Manny made a sound as though he was clearing his throat. “Yes, anyways the point I’m trying to make is that I’m pretty sure the rot sprites are going after Calla. She’s not from the forest and I think they can sense that. That would mean they also go after things, not from the forest.”

Calla suddenly felt even more frightened by the forest.

Augustus tilted his head then pushed his massive head near Calla’s arm and took a long sniff causing Calla to pull her arm away and take a step back. He shook his head and then sighed. “Now that I’ve checked, you do have a strange scent about you. I would also avoid shadow wolves if I were you. If they see you as a threat to the forest they will start hunting.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “I… I thought the only danger was the dust barrier.”

Manny shook his head. “Lots of things are dangerous, it’s just that most people in the forest never have to worry about most of them.” He looked at Augustus. “You didn’t have to tell her that. Hopefully, she will be gone before she has to worry about any of that.”

“Sorry.” He said quietly. “If it makes it any better, the shadow wolves are all on the other side of the Roving City and they’re pretty scattered in packs. The chances that you will come across any of them is very low.”

“It’s okay. Thanks.” Calla said quietly.

“Well, I guess we have to stay off the trampled strip,” Seirye said quickly. “It may be easier walking for you Manny, but you’ll just have to deal with it.”

“I’ll be fine,” Manny said as he looked at Calla. “Though couldn’t you technically blow the rot sprites far enough away that they won’t bother us?”

Everything was silent for a moment aside from the rumbling from the rhythmic sound of the Roving City in the distance. Then Seirye’s cloudy face appeared to expand. “Of course! I’ll do it!”

As soon as she said that a wind blew across the trampled strip and all of the rot sprites were pushed to the far side of the cleared area.

“There! I’ll keep it up until we reach the city, but it may be harder when we get close enough for them to be eating the rot. I’ll have to do it differently then, but that’s okay~~! It’s not hard.”

“Thank you,” Manny said. “Shall we continue then?”

Everyone nodded and the group continued the journey. They didn’t run into any more problems with the rot sprites that day. Calla felt even less safe in the forest than she did before. She couldn’t protect herself. She was lucky to have found people who could keep her safe, but she didn’t know much about the forest yet. She was sure there had to be dangers that no one could protect her from and that scared her.

For a moment she wished that she had been into martial arts or sports instead of art. At least then she could help the others keep her safe.