CHAPTER 6: DECISIONS DECISIONS

Kram sat, listening as the remaining men of the village spoke. Most had perished, leaving only 9 people alive. The remaining three were talking about where they should go next. Kram kept one eye on his mother, who was sleeping peacefully with the rest of the villagers.

“We should go to Highrock Town,” one of the men said.

“That would be crazy,” the other said. “Those people think of us as nothing more than savages. They’ll put us in chains if they do not kill us.”

“What choice do we have?’ the third said.

“We could wait it out.” He said. “Maybe it was a scouting party. We wait fro a few days… weeks and then go back to our home.”

“Come now, we know they have been advancing.” The first said. “It won’t make a difference in what we do.”

“What do you think we should do?”

Kram noticed that all went silent. He looked at the three men and realized that the were talking to him.

“We can’t go back to the village,” he said. “It has been totally destroyed. And we can’t stay in the forest. I don’t think we would survive, especially with the demons around. We need to be together with more humans.”

“Then we go to Highrock Town.” The first said. “We should get some rest, I’ll take first watch.”

Kram left the men, followed by Two Horns. He was followed by Kriki, who was unusually quiet. Kram understood why, for he was in not much of a mood to speak either. He walked to the village Medicine Woman, who sat cross legged. Kram knew she was cultivating mana from how the mana field was moving.

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He stepped one side of her, while Kriki was on her other side.

“I heard about your parents, little ones.” The Medicine Woman said without opening her eyes. “My condolences.”

“Ma’am, can you teach me how to cast your Mending Spell?” Kram said.

“What would be the use?” she said. “Your meridians have not opened.”

“But one day, they will.” He said. “And when they do, I want to be prepared.”

“Me too!” Kriki said.

Kram looked at her in confusion.

“I… I also want to learn.” She said, more quietly.

She opened her eyes and looked at Kram. “You have always been a special boy, Kram.” She turned to Kriki. “And yoy Kriki, you… you… you have always been the love interest of a special boy.” She shut her eyes and sighed. “I’ll teach you.”

Highrock town would take some time to get to. They walked for most of the day and at night they rested, or most of the villagers did. Kram and Kriki would learn spells that they could not yet perform from the old Medicine Woman.

Every morning, Kram would be awoken by the sound of Kriki doing her usual exercise routine. On the third morning of her doing this, he decided to ask her something.

“Why are you doing all of this, Kriki?” he said. “You’re not whining about hanging out, you are just doing it. You starting to see I’m right about everything?”

She looked down, and took a moment before she answered. “Yes, you are right about everything.” She said. “You’re becoming strong and I know you’ll become even stronger no matter what or where we go. I want to keep up with you.”

“You want to keep up, huh?” he said. “Tell me, how much of the old woman’s magic lessons do you remember?”

She looked down in shame. “Not much really. By the time I’m 12 and can actually practice them, I’ll have forgotten everything.”

“You have a pathetic memory.”

She looked down in shame. “Yes.”

“Lucky for you, I do too.” Kram said, causing her to look up in surprise. “Have you ever heard of writing?”

“A little, like the pictures we draw.”

“No, that is too inaccurate and unrefined.” He said. “I’m going to teach you a more refined writing. Its how I record everything the old woman teaches us and if you are going to keep up with me, you’ll have to learn. Since my hands are still broken, I’ve been using my mouth to write but now you will be my hands.”

“Yes,” she looked up with bright eyes. “I’ll do whatever you say.”

He nodded. “Good. You must not tell anyone about this okay?”

“Yes,” she said.

“I have developed my own form of writing, mixing or pictogram style and the other style I know. That will come later. For now, I will teach you, how to write and read… demon script.”