It was dark by the time we started to head back to Three Bridge. Beneath the thick canopy of leaves, the forest was even darker than ever. It was probably even darker than the narrow alleyways of Three Bridge.

Even the darkness and stillness of the forest was something nostalgic. I remember joining a hunting raid against one of our neighbouring tribe ’s herds and unmarried female members. This was mere weeks before that night. I was tasked with staying behind with the reserve party and celebrated when a small herd of goats and three females came with us. One was about my age, and had been captured by my father. They made joking comments that she was to be my wife when we grew up.

It didn ’t seem like the girl herself had any issues with that, as during the following weeks, she got close to me. When I woke the next morning, I found her body crushed by the same tree which had trapped me.

While I was fondly, and not so fondly, remembering the past and my life on the isle I noticed that Tan-bei was hugging me tight fearfully. In the darkness of the forest, her copper-fawn skin looked much darker, allowing her to fade into the darkness. As did her deep forest green dress and silky black hair. But my pale pink skin seemed to stand out brightly in the deep darkness of the darkening forest.

Her bright and wide-open eyes kept darting about whenever she heard the innocent sounds of the forest at night. Of owls in their almost silent flight; of small skittering animals darting between and up and down the rough-barked trees; and, when we got closer to the city, of those people who like Tan-bei whimpered in the alien strangeness of the forest as they dared sleeping there finding it more pleasant or safer than sleeping within the city proper.

Of course some of the sounds of the city invaded their way into the silent forest: drunken revery, angry shouts, sounds of fighting, cries of sellers selling their goods, and loud flirtatious calls of nightwalkers trying to sell their body to whomever would buy them.

After the forest had grown, destroying the road, this part of Winster Reach—the part which neighboured the forest—had started to become rougher and crowded with gangs of people fleeing from other parts of Three Bridge hoping to claim the once affluent area or gangs which were trying to extend their reach to new regions.

As we got closer to the city, the fearful tight hugging of Tan-bei on my arm was replaced by a more loving and gentle hold.

The fresh forest night air, with its sweet scent, emphasised Tan-bei ’s beauty. I really wish I was brave enough to share my secret home with her, but I just couldn’t. Not that I was worried about sharing secrets with her. It was just that the forest sacrificed itself for me and I wanted to keep the sacrifice sacrosanct. A place where I could just be and not have to be wary about others.

And though I loved Tan-bei, I still found myself putting on a mask around her. As I did with all of those I cared about. Maybe one day I could be fully, maybe not fully, but at least more open around them. Maybe I could shed at least some of the emotional armour that I kept on, even as I learnt to open my heart to others.

As of this moment, it felt easier for me to charge into a den full of mythical beasts than to fully open myself up to others to see. Because if I failed at one, then at least I would be dead. If I failed at the other, then I would have to suffer until the day I die.

We had just crossed over between the invisible, yet somehow almost inviolable, boundary between the forest and Three Bridge. The stench of humanity and civilisation was thick, filling the air like a miasma. That self-same miasma filled my ears with its poison as the noise drilled through my ears and into my very depths.

Though I had felt at ease and calm within the dark forest moments ago, I was now on edge and overwhelmed by everything which was occurring within the confines of what people commonly, and mistakenly, called civilisation.

That girl which my tribe had raided, choose to leave herself as an offering for my tribe because her family could no longer support her after her mother and eldest brother fell ill. The same illness which robbed the girl of her family members also weakened the tribe as a whole.

Using the historic rights of raiding, my tribe willingly took those who wished to depart. And took a small amount of herd animals to make sure that our tribe would not be dangerously overstretched in looking after them. In the chaos of one-on-one champion combat, the girl choose to flee, taking with her a single chicken, and made her way to our tribe ’s champion: my father. It was a simple decision, for her and our tribe, to allow her to pick me as a potential future partner.

It was, at times, needlessly complex, but we were an ancient people who lived as close with nature and our ancient ways as we could. The thought of a woman selling her body, willingly or not, was confusing to me. As were gangs. Even before the Night of Destruction, they brought me up to be a warrior, to fight, but always within limits and with rules. Gangs used violence to gain power and notoriety, and then used the same violence and power and notoriety to lord over those and take what they desired from those who were weaker.

It was almost the complete opposite of what I had been brought up to believe. Warriors and heroes were strong and powerful to watch over and protect those who were weaker. And in return, those who were weaker helped support them the best they could.

Here, though, outside of the isle I was brought up on things were different. Civilisation was built upon using power and violence to lord over those who were less powerful, and doing the best to make sure that those who are more powerful either overlook or accept your power.

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My body was strong and powerful. Maybe the strongest and most powerful in the twin cities. During the past couple of weeks, I became aware of just how weak and powerless I really was. If I was more powerful, I would ’ve been able to find more heroes to join our guild. If I was more powerful, I would be able to say no to Sara and spend more time with Tan-bei. If I was more powerful, I would go and find Orla and bring her back with me. If I was more powerful, I would bring as many of my people as I could to our new surrogate home deep within this forest and make of it a protected land where we could rebuild our own way of life.

If I was more powerful, I would be able to solve the issues that were plaguing the lives of those who lived in my adopted home of Three Bridge, and bring them peace and joy and prosperity and power.

But I wasn ’t strong like that .

I had limited strength. And even with whatever limited strength I had, I wasn ’t able to use it.

I had to ignore the cries of a wounded person as they lay dying on the cobbled path.

I had to ignore the call of a woman who needed to sell her body for some reason or another.

I had to ignore the hungry sobs of starving children as they waited for someone to … I didn’t even want to think what would happen to those children.

I had to ignore the sounds of a fight between two gangs as they thoughtlessly destroyed the livelihood of another tavern owner.

It was all I could do to focus upon Tan-bei ’s warm body as she held onto me and looking imposing and threatening. All so that we could easily pass through this region without being embroiled into anything which could disrupt our plans of heading back to Brook Bridge in peace.

The streets lined with buildings that, whilst shorter than the towering trees, crowded around and down upon him. That still quiet night air, which was so fresh and pleasing in the forest, felt raw and thick here within the confines of the city. Piss and shit, both animal and human, filled the air with a cloying thickness. Tangy copper blood gave an edge to the air, as did desperation. And the stench of unwashed bodies and stale sweat and musty clothing was everywhere.

So were people.

Loud and obnoxious people pushing their way through the crowds either going home, to work, or to escape their life for a brief and forlorn while. There were too many people. And I longed to flee back to the calming quiet of the forest.

Then I noticed a familiar face. One I had seen briefly in the past. It was a young demi-human woman with barely any womanly figure, her greyish-pink skin faintly gleaming in the darkness. Her black hair was no longer matted and gleamed slightly in the light shining from a nearby open door.

She was wearing a reasonably respectable dress, slightly old and stained, but clean and fitted her well. Held tight to her almost flat chest was a stale loaf of bread.

Her eyes were no longer lifeless.

Instead, fear filled them as three almost-men who were all taller than her surrounded her. One was lanky, the other podgy. The final one had some muscle tone. It was this last one who was doing his best to tower over and intimidate the poor demi-human woman.

He ran his hand along her arm, across her almost non-existent breasts, and up to her neck where he then opened his hand and grabbed hold of her neck.

I went to pull free of Tan-bei ’s grasp, but she let go first.

A bright golden light danced and shimmered like a bolt of lightning before disappearing. For an equally brief moment, the smell of wildflowers filled the air before the stench of humanity reclaimed its right to this place.

Filling my soul with dread was a dull and deep somber dirge which promised destruction.

‘I’m sorry, Ber, I cannot stand it any longer.’ Tan-bei said to me in a quiet voice, void of hope. ‘I tried my best. The Trio knows I tried.’

I rested my hand on her shoulder and transformed. At first my skin turned into a golden brown bark, but soon it changed into a silvery smooth bark complete with small black elongated patches. The rustle of small branches and leaves on my neck was at odd with the artificial sounds within Three Bridge.

Yet the three bastards were obvious to them, as they kept pressuring the terrified demi-human woman into doing their bidding.

If it took power to force these fools to pay attention. Then I would just how to show them just how powerful I was. How powerful the two of us were. I would force Three Bridge to pay attention to me and to my alter ego Bercilan.

If the guilds or Livery Companies had any issues with it, then I would have to deal with them.

If the Temple had any issues with me, I would call upon my blessings and see just what my blessings would allow me to get away with.

I wasn ’t going to be able to overlook helping those in need any longer. Yes, many might slip through my fingers, but I would save as many as I could.

And I would begin right here.

Right now .