Alana pressed her forehead against the pine tree, trying to regain the control of her breath. She thought of what to do. Her eyes slowly rolled up. The pale light of the sun went through the branches. If she climbed quickly, she could hide behind the branches. Maybe she could pull that off again.

“Hey!” Tertullianus screamed at her. “Don’t think of trying something funny because we will nail your feet to that tree.”

She put her head down.

“Don, hand me the rope now.” Tertullianus said.

Alana took a deep breath. She had to wait for the right moment.

“You don’t look back here, bitch. As soon as I get this damn rope on your hands, I want you to behave well. Come on, we don’t have patience.”

“I thought of something, Tertullianus. What if we used her as bait.”

“Are you crazy. They be payin’ us a lot for bringing her alive. They will make her squeak. Will be gettin’ her all dirty also. We don’t want her to be all cut up already. Just if necessary.”

“So you not shooting the arrow into the wench?”

“Shut it, Don.”

“Anyway, I don’t mean she gettin’ all torn up, just keep her as a bait, when the big guy comes, we put her away.”

“Whatever, Don, just give me the damn rope.”

“Wait, wait.”

Alana heard the man dropping the items from his bag. It was time. She dropped her hands and got ready to run away, she stepped out in a haste, but she felt a pull on her clothes. Tertullianus started laughing again as she tried to run. The arrow pierced through her hemp tunic, sticking into the wood.

“This is a warning, bitch. Now put your hands up again.”

Alana obeyed silently.

“Turn your little face. Yes…”

Alana faced the tree and cleared her throat. Now what? Kassius was probably savouring the trout or chanting in a fake language, screaming for help could not help. What would they do to her? How could she fight back?

“Found the rope,” Don announced gladly.

“Great,” Tertullianus said with a laugh. “My gods, this is a mess. This is so tangled up. Alright, you hold your horses, dolly. I won’t take long. I’ll be back with you soon.”

Alana’s eyes were fixed on the patterns of the dark tree bark. Once again, she froze, as Tertullianus’ laughter grew louder. Then, his steps drew closer. His laughter turned into animal-like sounds.

And then, his laughter stopped. Something rushed through the branches, as if it breaking through them, like a battering ram moving at high speed between the trees.

“Gods, gods, gods, kill him Tert!” Don, the wounded man yelled.

Tertullianus let out a high-pitched shriek.

Alana was tempted to look back.

Don let out another high scream, it became a moan and a cry for mercy.

Alana turned quickly and felt her soul escape as she did. The Brown One had appeared. The colour of its fur was closer to black, Her head was massive, and Her clawed muscular paws moved quicker than lightning. Don lay on the floor, agonizing, as Tertullianus pointed the bronze arrow at it. The beast gushed forward in the blink of an eye, tackling the soldier, and pushing him almost ten feet away. The bow hopelessly flew yards into the air and bounced against a tree. Before Alana could move a finger, the Beast was already over the soldier’s body.

Alana could not move. She could not even look away.

The Brown One pawed through Tertullianus’ chest, biting him like a furious dog, blood stained the man’s yellow tunic. The Bear’s massive jaws closed onto him like a monstrous machine. Then, She reached for his head with its jaws and dragged him back like a rag doll. The soldier cried out like a banshee as the knife sharp teeth punctured the soldier’s skin like a coffin of nails and blood poured from every spot.

Alana’s mind responded, and she instinctively climbed the tree like a terrified kitten. Her heart pounded and her arms and legs worked incessantly. Even after she found a safe distance, half way through the tree, she kept going. When she was so high up she could tower over other trees, she held onto the thick trunk, her naked skin pressing against the freezing bark. She realized her hemp tunic was gone, still hanging from the arrow beneath.

And she could not avoid staring at the scene below. The Brown One’s paws had so maimed the man’s face that the skin had peeled off to the side, revealing red flesh beneath. After another blow, his bloodied entrails scattered about and yellowish fluid, like the inside of a bone, dripped out from his open skull. Thus, the man’s screams ended.

But Don could only wait for his own demise. He breathed rapidly, and his screams rang through occasionally. She almost felt sorry for him as the bear crawled toward him and delivered a finishing blow.

Alana’s eyes were still wide open, bewildered and shocked at the horrifying fate of those two.

And yet, she bowed her head.

Thank you, Brown One.

The Bear turned around, moving its snout like a dog sniffing about, and growled as if acknowledging her presence.

Alana then saw three figures peering through the cave. Bear cubs, their furs fuzzy and their black eyes shining with curiosity, eagerly waiting for a modest meal of man.

***

After a long wait, when the bears were not around, Alana descended stealthily. The bodies still lay over the grass, half open. She avoided looking, but her blue cloak was still lying next to the carcasses.

She looked around, the bear was not close. She knew she would have to disappear as quickly as possible, as she had seen how fast She was, and she could not outrun Her. She feared praying to the Brown One. If she called Her in her mind she may show up and devour her as well.

But she could not help it, after all, She had protected her.

Please, You… Who protected me… Please let me go in peace. I will just get my cloak and go…

Alana stealthily walked to the centre. She passed through the dead bodies, avoiding them. A strange odour permeated the area, probably all the spilled fluids that came out of the soldier’s internal organs. She covered her mouth and strode out. There, she knelt and grabbed the cloak and the dagger from the ground. She held the cloak up and looked for blood stains. It was still intact.

A loud noise sent a chill down her spine, and as she turned, she saw the Brown One standing out of the den, its eyes fixed on her.

Her feet responded quickly, and she ran toward the foliage. The One dashed behind her, fast as a chariot. In no time, she realized her attempt at escape was futile. Foolish of her, as panic had deceived her.

She only prayed that she could survive and dropped to the ground, crouching, her arms over her ears and hair.

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The creature pounced on her. She squeezed her eyes as its hot breath poured over her like a furnace. Her paws descended over her flesh. She felt claws like fishing hooks, as the otherwise soft paw toyed with her and cast her to the side.

Alana refrained from moving. She knew very well one movement could send her to hell. The men had not been as lucky. She breathed in, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to keep calm. The beast’s hot breath cooked over her face, and without a word, she made a plea in her mind, in the depth of her soul, to be left alone. The beast’s warm, humid snout brushed against her forehead, and she remained still, her eyes tensed and shut for moments that seemed to extend into eternity. How long had it been? Seconds? Minutes? Soon, the beast lifted its head, the warm furry body turned, and the beast walked away.

She remained on the floor, her body tucked and her head down. She opened her eyes and dozens of high pines towered above her head. She lifted her head slightly and viewed her surroundings. From there she could see the high grass and the trees above, almost like castles and walls. She stood up, she looked back into the dark, rocky den and slowly walked back into the woods.

After reaching a safe distance, she ran again with all her might, this time avoiding raising her voice, afraid she may bring the attention of soldiers and wicked men. She just had to reach for Kassius or Tor. She walked for about an hour, as the fear of what she had just gone through slowly faded and a strange feeling of thankfulness filled her once more.

She soon reached camp, but the bonfire had been put out, the ashes scattered about, and their possessions moved. What had Kassius done? Either he was mad or something bad had happened to him. Or not that bad, if he had managed to dismantle everything. Where would he be? Alana knelt and followed the tracks, but she noticed there were two sets of them. Who could it be? Tor? She could not make the same mistake as before, and she noticed they were about his size, but made with different footwear. It was hard to tell what kind.

Then, she saw something that had been bound to the branches of a high pine. She walked closer. It was a piece of hemp paper, a small thread held it against the branch, but instead of a sigil, it had a crude drawing representing trees and a triangular structure almost as high as them. She grabbed the paper and looked at it closely. It was definitely made with Kassius’ red ink.

She knelt again and followed the footsteps. They continued for a few steps, a bit off from the bank of the creek, and they faded, as if erased intentionally. She clenched her teeth, raising her head. Where had those boys gone? And then she noticed another piece of paper stuck into a woodpecker’s nest.

This time it had a stylized arrow. It was guiding her somewhere.

She walked in that direction, holding the black dagger in hand, and she, again, reached the banks of the creek, this time guarded by a moss-covered rock. It was completely covered in grey lichens and green moss, and it reached the mid of her calves and was quite regular in shape. Right on top she saw a third piece of paper, this time so small and amorphous it could be mistaken for a leaf. She lifted it. On the hidden side there was another arrow, and that one pointed downward.

She raised an eyebrow.

Something was up. The shape of the rock was also too regular, long like a man, but broken in pieces. She knelt, took out the knife, and peeled the moss, staining her black dagger with green.

There were writings on its surface.

She stood up again and took a few steps back. If the rocks were put together and erected, they would form a proud menhir.

That was what Aranus talked about, the menhir. Now what could it do? Was it some kind of a gate into the world of the gods, like in the legends? Had Kassius managed to transcend the material realm, or had she eaten the wrong mushroom that morning.

She knelt again, noticing a vague circular shape in the ground right next to the rocky structure. She stuck her fingers into it. Something was wrong. They did not go through. A hard surface lie underneath. She removed the ground on top of it and realized it was some sort of hatch made of stone. On top of it there was an engraving representing the goddess Venus. She blinked in amazement, as she had not known of ancient relics or tombs. How ancient would it be?

A small opening, almost a sealing, was constructed beneath. She used the dagger as a lever. It gave in with a bit of strength. Alana proceeded to lift it, groaning as it required the little strength she had left.

It opened with a creak, revealing a dark tunnel that sunk beneath, with dark iron bars that served as a ladder. She swallowed and turned around to start climbing down.

“Hold up,” she heard a voice beneath that echoed like a spectre. She looked down, and in the dim light that passed through, she saw Kassius with bow and arrow in hand. He put it down after recognizing her.

“Kasha! It’s you!” She smiled broadly and descended faster.

“No! Wait,” Kassius said.

“What?”

“Close the entrance?”

“Close it?” she asked, raising an eyebrow, then looking up at the only thing that illumined the dark tunnel.

“Yes. There’s soldiers all around us.”

Alana sighed.

“Do you at least have light down there, Kasha?”

“We do, don’t worry about it.”

“Alright,” she said, moving up and pulling the hatch down. Its weight made it recede immediately and it closed with a bang.

Alana climbed down, dropped to her feet on the last steps, and looked into the dark tunnel. She could barely recognize Kassius’ silhouette, and she rushed to wrap him in her arms.

“Kasha, you won’t believe what happened,” she said in awe and gratitude, feeling Kassius’ smell of sweat and damp clothes.

“What was it? Anything more impressive than this?” he asked.

She stepped back and tried to look in the dark.

“Kasha… Where’s the light?”

“You’ll be surprised.”

A fire came, blazing out of the dark tunnel and lightening the straight walls. The tunnel was covered with pillars and reliefs, like an ancient temple of curious workmanship, but the fire made her mouth drop, it was someone holding a flaming torch. Alana opened her eyes wide as she recognized the figure; a round face, messy brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, and a shy smile.

“By Ares! Irema! It’s you!”

Alana ran with all her mind and embraced her friend tightly. She let go and looked at her face, she was bruised and her lips healing past wounds.

“Ala. Finally,” Irema said softly. “You won’t believe how I missed you.”

Alana held her again.

“I’m glad we’re together, and that you’re free,” Alana said, wiping her tears. “So?”

She wanted to ask more and wondered how she had arrived there.

“What happened? How?” Alana said between tears of joy.

“Come and sit with us,” Irema said. “I’ll tell you everything.”

***

The walls had a place to hold the torches, which now lit the empty corridor. The three friends sat on the floor, forming a circle, their faces tired and dirty, their flesh bruised, but smiling at the blessing fortune had granted.

“So the Brown One came to the rescue,” Kassius said, narrowing his green eyes.

“Yes. I know, right? Amazing,” Alana said with both fear and awe.

“And scary,” Irema said.

“It’s strange,” Kassius said, touching the rocky, dusty floor with his fingertips. “I’ve been trying to contact my guardian spirit, and I couldn’t. I’ve been doing it for days, fasting, staring at the dark. You’re out for three hours and you’ve got the strongest guardian spirit there could be.”

“Maybe you both got it,” Irema said.

“What?” Alana asked, arching an eyebrow.

“I mean,” Irema looked at both of them. “You two are married. Now you are like one flesh.”

Alana chuckled.

“It’s not like that. I mean,” she said, then smiled awkwardly.

“I mean. We aren’t…” Kassius said. “I mean, we aren’t really married. Are we?” He stared at Alana, his eyes wide open.

“No. No,” Alana shook her head, stroking her hair.

“I mean, everybody’s saying it. Now it’s true. The bad guys are looking for the murderous marriage.”

Alana smiled faintly, but her eyes drifted down. It was hell up there.

“What about this?” Alana asked Irema. “Tell us about this place. And...”

“I will tell you, Ala. They’re hunting me down as well,” Irema said.

“You?” Alana raised an eyebrow. “What did you do?”

“She...” Kassius made a sign to illustrate a man being hung. “Her husband.”

“You what?” Alana opened her eyes wide, not knowing how to react.

Irema’s face paled under the dim light.

“So… They’re after you,” Alana said, her eyes twitching. “And how did you find this place?”

“So, I killed Helius, the man who they married to me, then I told my mother to tell the soldiers she had found it, not to put her at risk. It was hard to convince her. Then, I went to the shrine and Aranus told me about the fallen menhir.”

“Oh, the menhir,” Alana said. “I guess we didn’t understand that bit.”

“I thought you would be here. I brought some food and waited here, but you never came. Then, I found Kassius and his bonfire a few hours ago as he was putting it off and hiding from the soldiers.”

“Wait…” Alana jumped to her feet, looking around. “This passage. The tunnels… Who built them?”

“Old Tharcians.” Kassius said.

“Tharcians? We are in Tharcia.”

“The original inhabitants, that is,” Kassius explained. “Relatives of us. We spoke the same language back then,” Kassius added.

“Amazing!” Alana muttered.

“I was telling her about the sword,” Kassius said. “That we must make it and… Tell her, Irema.”

“Aranus told me there are many secrets, most of them, he doesn’t know. There is one that concerns us.”

“It’s in the book,” Kassius said, excited.

Irema cleared her throat. Her blue eyes gleamed with the fire reflecting in them.

“He hoped you could rebuild the sword. Piece by piece. He knew it could not be found in full. He told me there is a fragment of the Sun of Venus somewhere in the forest,” Irema said.

“Do you know what that means, Ala?” Kassius said.

“What?” Alana raised her head.

“Remember the story?”

Alana shook her head.

“I remember the tear that fell from the sky and...”

“The tear, yes! The Thunderbolt of Venus!” Kassius interrupted her.