Mana opened her eyes, attacked by a tremendous headache and nausea that churned her stomach immediately.

She was moving quickly, but her legs weren't. She looked down. She was grazing the ground with the tips of her leather boots while two men carried her, supporting each arm on their shoulders.

The village was silent. Well, almost. The lights of the inn were on, and the noise coming from there spoiled what would have been a very quiet night, only accompanied by the distant sounds of birds from the grove.

Mana passed through the inn's entrance. The villagers seemed to be discussing something, but they stopped when she entered, carried by the north gate guards.

Elia's face lit up as if life itself had been returned to her. She rushed to Mana and covered the girl's cheeks with her hands. So warm for Mana.

"Daughter, are you alright?"

Desperation trembled in her voice as she looked her up and down to check for injuries. Her clothes were destroyed, and her body was covered in lacerations. Her heart sank at seeing her state. The anguish was reflected in her sweet, honey-like eyes.

Elia embraced her, and Mana forced herself to reciprocate with her left arm, still keeping her right one supported on one of the guards.

"Thank you very much, Fazrur, Umar," Aiacos thanked the guards, nodding to one and then the other.

Fazrur was still helping the girl, a young man with curly, coppery hair. He lowered the girl's hand and held her until he could ensure she could stand.

"No need to thank us, Aiacos. We were just doing our job." "Very well done, then," Aiacos added. Both nodded. "We'd better return to our posts. I hope Mana will be alright," Fazrur said as both hurried out of the inn.

Aiacos looked at his daughter, noting every scratch on her. Anger began to bubble inside him just imagining what she must have gone through. He relaxed his expression to remain calm.

Mana could tell he was angry, with the flame of rage present in his turquoise eyes, like an aurora streaked with red flashes, wild and dangerous.

"Where have you been?" his tone was serious and severe. "We thought the worst. We went to look for you in the grove, but we couldn't find your trail. What were you thinking? I remember telling you not to wander off, much less wait until nightfall," his voice softened until only concern remained.

The fear that invaded him just thinking about what could have happened to his beloved daughter was agonizing, squeezing his chest mercilessly.

"I'm so sorry, Dad," Mana apologized, seeing what she had caused. Even though it wasn't really her fault. Her father rarely showed himself like this, vulnerable, but she never liked to witness it. It was as if she had betrayed him in the worst way.

Aiacos relaxed his expression and helped her and Elia to sit in a chair.

"I'll be right back; we need to tend to those wounds," Elia said before going behind the bar to the back room, passing through the curtain into the kitchen.

All the villagers were watching her, concerned. She was regaining some of her composure and straightened up under their gazes, not liking to be seen in such a bad state. She sighed as she tried to find the words to explain what had happened. Definitely, no one would believe that the god helped her. But she started from the beginning.

"I was in the dark forest," her declaration was followed by a cacophony of surprise that filled the room just as Elia returned from the back room with a cloth bag.

"The dark area? Are you not aware that area is very dangerous? Not even experienced hunters have made it out of there alive," Aiacos barked. There was his sharp anger again; his patience wore thin in seconds.

"Two other boys are still missing; they've put their lives at risk stupidly."

Was she hearing right? Her father was questioning her about putting their lives in danger when he was the first to do so. Wait a minute.

"Did you say two more boys are missing?" Mana asked, confused.

Elia had crouched beside her and started disinfecting her wounds with a potion and a piece of cloth she took from the bag. Mana gritted her teeth as she felt it on a cut on her leg.

Igro approached them from the crowd.

"Agito and my brother," he replied, arms crossed and hands almost tearing at the skin beneath his fingers. His impatience was as clear as his discomfort.

Mana's eyes widened. Inari and Agito were missing. She had heard a couple of people leaving when she was abandoned in the forest. Could it have been them? They had reasons, after the embarrassment she caused them.

"They're there too, I think," she said quietly, only half convinced, looking at the ground.

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Igro gritted his teeth.

Aiacos noticed how Mana's face turned desolate with worry and gave Igro a look. Surely he must be having a hard time; his brother was the most important thing to him, and it was very likely he was alone and scared in the grove. That is, if he was alive.

Elia took Mana's hands in hers to convey her warmth. "Don't worry, daughter, I'm sure they're fine. Your father and I were very worried about you."

The girl looked up when she felt two hands on her shoulders, squeezing them gently. It was her father.

"I'm glad you're safe, Mana." Aiacos's broad smile made her eyes burn, on the verge of tears.

"Did you see the creature?" Aiacos asked excitedly, wasting no time.

That was her father, deceiving her with his strange behavior. Anger bubbled inside her, climbed up her throat, and escaped through her mouth.

"That's all you care about, the creature," she pushed his arms away, clearly angry. She missed his warmth. The villagers began to murmur among themselves while Elia continued to treat Mana's wounds, who had sunk into her thoughts while watching her.

A woman made her way through the crowd and approached them. She fell to her knees and placed her hands on Mana's lap.

"Where is my son?" she pleaded with a broken voice, stripped of any hope.

It was Agito's mother, a woman in her fifties if she remembered correctly. Her son was all she had. Her cheeks were red and swollen from crying so much.

Mana felt sorry for her and took her hands in hers to comfort her, though she was sure it would do little good. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. There was nothing she could say. It was even better to avoid mentioning that it was possibly them who dragged her into the dark forest. She hadn't really thought it was them until Aiacos mentioned them.

"Are they alive? Or at least were they the last time you saw them?" Igro interrupted, serious. He was dressed in the characteristic clothes of Cepir hunters: boots, brown leather pants and vest. Underneath, his characteristic gray shirt. His long bow rested on his back, and too many knives were subtly hidden in sheaths all over his outfit. A simple sword hung from his belt. He was ready to head to the grove at any moment.

He was as calm as he could be, but Mana knew him. Anguish shone in his steely gray eyes. Mana tried to form the sentences she would say. She didn't know much, really; she hadn't even seen them or confirmed it was them, but it was the only possibility.

"Yes, although I didn't see them at any time," she replied, deciding to keep the rest of what happened to herself. It wouldn't help now. Adding it would only make the situation worse.

The woman on her lap calmed her crying a bit, illuminated by the hope that her son might still be alive. Igro helped her to her feet, and a couple of women approached to take her back to her home.

"Save Agito, please, he's all I have," she pleaded with all her soul, looking at Igro and then at Aiacos.

Aiacos nodded briefly, and the women left. He returned his gaze to Igro.

"We'll find them. We were already planning to go to the dark forest tonight, so we just have one more mission."

He turned to face the crowd.

"By tomorrow morning, we'll return with the boys and a head to adorn 'The Hunter's Dream,'" Aiacos encouraged, and the villagers cheered. "Now get the hell out of here."

The crowd obeyed and began to leave the inn, murmuring. If the creature hunt had already excited them, adding the search for the boys only gave them more to talk about. Although none doubted for a moment that they were capable of achieving it.

"Come on, daughter, you need to eat something." Elia placed a hand on Mana's back and the other holding her arm to help her stand. She had finished disinfecting her wounds. Most were just shallow cuts, nothing serious, except for the one near her right elbow; that would take a bit longer to heal completely. It might be a good idea for the doctor to see her, but he wasn't in the village.

The last villagers to leave said goodbye to Mana, wishing her a speedy recovery, and she responded with a tired smile.

Elia took her to the bar to go to the kitchen. The inn was already empty, only the group of hunters remained inside. They began to leave one by one, and Mana stopped to watch them go.

"Mana, tomorrow I'll have another story to tell you. How I saved your old man's ass, found the two boys, and killed a creature, all in one night," Oleg said, amused, as he left through the door, carrying his huge axe on his shoulder.

"Who are you going to find? You can't even find your own balls with that belly," Eric teased, bored, with both hands behind his head.

"Watch your mouth, Eric," Vailor admonished, giving him a smack on the head.

"I swear, if someone hits my head again..." Eric threatened as he walked out with Vailor.

One by one, they left, and Mana made sure to watch them until it was Igro's turn.

"See you, Mana," he said quietly, looking straight ahead.

Mana didn't have time to say anything; he hurried out. It was clear he didn't want to waste much time, his brother was out there, in the grove. She understood.

Aiacos headed toward the door and stopped just before leaving. He looked over his shoulder at his wife and daughter.

"Be very careful," Elia urged. He nodded and left them alone.

The knot in Mana's chest prevented her from even saying goodbye, tied with sorrow and fury. She hoped she wouldn't regret it. She would see him the next morning.

***

The twelve shadows had gathered at the entrance to the grove, on the northern outskirts of the village of Cepir. Each one checked their equipment; they needed to ensure they had everything they needed. They would venture beyond the limits of the dark forest to search for the boys and hunt the creature. They had to be prepared.

Aiacos had positioned himself with his back to the forest, facing the group. They surrounded him in a semicircle. Now they were different people, even Eric, the most playful of them all, watched him with a sharp look in his dark eyes.

From the forest outwards, they were villagers; from the forest inwards, they were hunters.

After seeing that each one had checked their gear, he looked them over. From the far left where Igro stood to the other side where Levanor was. He squinted; he looked very nervous. His forehead shone a bit under the moonlight, sweating.

"This is your last chance," he said aloud. "After we enter, there will be no turning back."

He glanced sideways at Levanor to check his reaction; he had gone stiff.

"Anyone who doesn't want to go on is free to leave."

Although he was sure most would follow him without hesitation, he preferred to ensure that "some" wouldn't go against their instincts.

They all nodded in unison, although Levanor hesitated a bit. Aiacos didn't want to highlight it, as it would be an insult for a hunter to be excused from a hunt.

Aiacos nodded as well, satisfied. He turned and began to walk towards the grove, everyone followed him.

"May Emerwyn be with us all," a broad smile spread across his face as the twelve shadows disappeared among the bushes.

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