Sound of crackling wood burning glowed in a clearing, a boy sat nearby poking the fire with a stick. Accompanying him was another youth hunched on the other side of the fire, her arms wrapped around her bunched up legs. There was nothing to talk about nor a joke to lighten the mood, so instead they just stared blankly into the fire. After the boy pulled out the canteen of water from his sack and taking a sip, he thought it was time he broke this tense silence.

"We should be in Kartick tomorrow, early in the morning." He commented.

The only response Erica gave was a slight nod, "You ok Erica?" Zilian asked.

Erica eyes welled up in tears, "No. Ferry, uncle and Charlee. All gone in one day."

He wanted to comfort her, "I know how you..."

Erica cut him off, "No! You do not know how I feel. Do you know how it feels like to lose the only bit of family you have? To lose your home, and friends? All in the same day?!"

He glanced back at the fire, a feeling of longing grew in his heart. It felt like an insatiable void, every attempt to fill it up was in vain. He learned he could not fill it up, but rather just accept it will be there forever. He answered her accusation, "Yes I do."

He could feel her gaze burning on him, she never learned of what had happened to him and he preferred it to be that way. Seeing that she was not going to get anything else out of him, Erica pulled a blanket from her sack and positioned her sack as a cushion.

"I am going to sleep now. Wake me up if you get up first." She requested.

She covered herself with the blanket and laid her head on the sack, giving a sleepy yawn as she tucked herself in. Zilian did not feel like going to sleep, and instead continued to poke the fire until the tip caught on fire, Zilian sighed and tossed the stick into the fire. Erica was already sound asleep, with the steady breathing as her chest rose up and down.

I guess I should get tucked in as well. Zilian thought.

He pulled a blanket from his sack and also used his sack as a cushion. It was quite uncomfortable to sleep on a sack, but it did not seem to matter after a day as tiresome as this one.

He knew he was having nightmare, but could not wake himself up. The destruction he experienced back in Forest Mist was being relived in detail, and he could smell the tangy smoke that stung his eyes as the buildings being razed. The onslaught of the Mountain that brought about a flood of the dead carcasses littering the streets, he could only imagine the fear and confusion the people of that city experienced. He then dreamed how Mauris, Charlee and Zacke had fought valiantly to save everyone in the city, sacrificing themselves for the benefit of everyone else. His dream then floated off to another place. He could hear an endless movement... was it a river?

Oh no! His voice echoed.

Zilian shot straight up, fully awakened now. Nature was calling him because of all the water he drank and had not let out for a long time. He staggers out into the woods with his legs crossed and clenching his groin, now a solitary distance away so that he would not be seen by Erica if she wakes up. As he was about to pull down his pants to release his bladders, he was stopped by some rustling in the ferns not too far away. Zilian instinctively climbs up the tree, pulling himself up the closest branch. Where he was moments before, he hears a sharp muted whistle that ended with triple thuds against the bark. He peers at where he was, there are three dusha knives ingrained on the tree.

He gulped as he saw a soldier appears out from the ferns to check where Zilian was, to see if they got him successfully. When the soldier sees he was not there, he gives a hushed whistle to his comrade not too far off.

Zilian, not waiting to lose his chance, grabs on to the branch and swings right into the soldier under him. The soldier crashes to the ground from the impact of his kick, suddenly a loud rustle in the overgrowth closed in on him. He sees the glimmer of a helmet reflecting one of the streams of moonlight, a soldier attempting to flee. Zilian chases the soldier, unwilling to let him escape. He tore through spiderwebs and ferns, and eventually caught up with the soldier. However he was too late, the soldier rode away on a horse and took off, straight to where Zilian and Erica came from - Forest Mist. He figured they probably have had camp of soldiers not too far off, which meant both he and Erica have to get moving now. He could not outrun mounted soldiers, so they need to leave and hide right away.

He turned back, making a beeline to camp. There, he found some hope. A second horse from to the soldier Zilian knocked out, it was barely visible with its head lowered next to a large boulder. Not wasting a moment, he jumped right on the horse’s back. The horse reared up in surprise, hollering in fear of its new rider.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Zilian whispered in its ear and stroking its neck to soothe the beast, "Good boy, that's it. It's ok, I'll take care of you."

Trusting its new master, the horse calmed down. The creature sprinted through the wood with a slap to a kick, in just a minute they arrived at the camp. Zilian jumped off the horse and called out to Erica, who is groggily waking up from the sound of the horse.

"Erica, we have to get moving now!" Zilian urged.

"Wha-? Where you get that horse?" Erica asked, her eyes flickering as they adjusted to her surroundings.

He did not have time to explain what had transpired, so he packed all the sacks up, kicked dirt on the fire and picked up Erica, who fought back. "What's going on? Stop pushing me." She demanded.

Then came sounds from the distance, he could hear many horses racing through the forest. They ran out of time, and now Erica understood what is was happening. Zilian jumped on the horse and gave Erica a hand up. He kicked the horse on its sides, and the horse reared up with a whining neigh. It then rode straight ahead in the same instant when the Mountain appeared on their horses, exploding from the dense forest wall.

With their pursuers only a couple of meters right behind them, Zilian hoped this horse was at least as good as the other horses. He would have the advantage if he could keep himself ahead, as the other party could only stop them by either throwing him off or bringing the horse down. An unexpected sharp whistle caught him by surprise as it blew past Zilian's ear, an arrow striking a tree not too far ahead of him.

Great, didn't count on them having arrows. How are they shooting at this speed though? He thought to himself.

As he took a quick glimpse back and past Erica’s shoulder, he finds that they are using automated arrow launchers. Erica held him on tight as they bounced on the horse.

“This night just gets better and better!” Zilian exclaimed exasperatedly.

He skimmed the horse slightly to the right, just as another arrow shot. Then, dodging another arrow as he swerves to the left, some action. He did not know for how long his luck would hold out. He ran past a low and long branch, which he grabbed onto and in that brief second where it was pulled out, he let go. The branch whipped back, smacking two pursuers off of their horses. Hoping it would keep them down for a bit and silently wishing it left a sting to remember him by, he turned his attention to the rest of their pursuers who were still chasing. He managed to get more distance between them with that maneuver, but they are gaining that distance back again.

“Oh no!” Zilian realized a mistake he has made, he should have headed straight to Kartick for protection right away. He was not thinking about what was best at the time, he just reacted in a panic. He lost all sense of direction without the slightest clue as to where they should head now. His horse would run until it was too tired and the Mountain would overrun them bringing a short lived chase.

Erica cried out in alarm, "Duck!"

Zilian did not see it because he was too preoccupied of their predicament; he rode right into a low branch and got knocked off the horse bringing down Erica with him him as well. They fell upon their backs on the hard ground, Zilian groaning as sharp pain coursed up his spine. He saw the horse just keep on running straight ahead, not noticing its fallen riders.

“Stupid horse.” Zilian mumbled.

They were stunned for a moment, as if fate wanted to affirm his fear, the sound of horses skidding halt came from behind him. He stood up to defend Erica right behind him, the Mountain soldier on the horse is ready to take on his next victim with his sword unsheathed. The horse jolted straight for them, the soldier showing no sign of hesitation. This is apparently his final outcome. Zilian would keep his promise to Charlee and Farame, he would protect Erica even if it cost him his life.

Even if it means comes at the cost of my life. He repeated to himself.

Fifty meters, forty meters, thirty meters, twenty meters, ten meters, five meters. As the soldier came upon him, something burst out from the woods. Another man struck his long polearm onto the soldier, knocking the rider off his horse. The Mountain soldier's blade fell with a metallic clink on the ground, not even a foot away from Zilian.

Looking up at the new company, he saw the newcomer is wearing armor different from the ones the Mountain wore. This soldier wore a green, smudgy tinted shoulder and chest armor. He did not wear arm braces or helm, rather just a brown turban that provided camouflage within the forest. The overthrown soldier kicked up furiously, and was angrily reproaching the surprising company.

"Who do you think you are? To interfere..." In recognition, the soldier realized who this person was.

The rest of the Mountain soldiers regrouped with their fallen brother, and in that same instant appeared more unknown people similarly dressed as the first newcomer. Friend or foe? Zilian thought, Please let it be friend.

The man who interfered rebuked, "The question is, who do you think you are? You are trespassing into Kartick territory."

The soldier looked between the two groups, they were evenly matched. He stood there for a moment, in a clear indecisive consideration. Zilian knew what his dilemma was, he did not want to confront a battle that he may or may not win just for a couple of children.

"We have chased them from the Forest Mist vicinity. Since they made it here, I will let them go. If I catch them outside of city territory, I will show no mercy." The soldier declares, hopping back on his horse to flee.

The man with the polearm retorted, "Then get out of territory before I get backup. Also as a warning, we will be doubling our patrols, in case you have any unexpected 'interests' in Kartick. Now go!" He ordered.

The Mountain soldier sneered at him, then took off with the rest of his troops. The man who saved them turned to Zilian and Erica. "Are you two injured?" He asked.

Erica nods, "No, now we are fine." She relaxed, her shoulders and head drop in relief.

Zilian shook his head, "No, I am not."

"Why is that?" The man rose a brow in surprise and crossed his arms.

"Is there a bathroom, I need to go badly!"

All the men present chuckled, clasping each others armor.