When the Chief said that we’d be “leaving at daybreak”, I hoped it was just a figure of speech.
It wasn’t.
This was made clear when the Chief abused her magic golden chains to lift up my bed and roll me off it while I was still asleep. She was ready to go; fully dressed, wearing her old but well-looked after leather boots, with her crisp white button-up shirt, well-fitted brown pants and her heavy grey cloak. I hadn’t noticed the faint gold outline on the hem of her cloak before, matching her golden eye.
I was admittedly a little lost in admiring her as she dragged me out of bed and got me ready. She’d put on her best clothes, made sure her hair was neat and tidy as always, with her carefully maintained fringe that she cuts to the same length every week. She wore her hair down as always, with the exception of the cute little twintails she ties up in her hair with long white ribbons that few have the guts to call cute, but everyone knows they’re cute regardless. She was wearing her black gloves with white backs - something she prides herself on keeping perfectly clean at all times. She was ready to present herself at her best. And me, too, as she fussed over me before pulling me out the door behind her.
Now I’m standing in front of the gate, staring ahead blankly as Arshiya pokes my cheek.
“She’s not dead, Arshiya. Just clearly too pampered to be able to handle waking up before sunrise.” Arshak scoffs, adjusting the leather straps of the heavy pack on his back, laden with thick, rolled-up blankets to go on the wooden cots so we can sleep off the ground if need be.
“You don’t like getting up this early either.” Arshiya responds as she keeps poking me. She’s carrying a similar pack to her twin brother.
“At least I can get up and go! She doesn’t even have to carry the Chief’s luggage like the rest of us!” He yells back, nearly losing his balance as he struggles to get his backpack’s straps to sit comfortably on his shoulders.
“You’re carrying your own luggage too, Arshak. Remember that before you lose your balance again.” The Chief comments, walking past Arshak with Rann to head up the expedition team in front of the gate.
Arshak, Arshiya, Rob, Johnny, Einar, Rann, the Chief, Crow, and myself. A party of nine, all up and ready to move before the crack of dawn. Thankfully, this time around, there’s no heavy sled to drag through the mud, nor are we hunting the apex predator of the Abyss. No sled, however, does mean everyone has to carry everything on their own backs. Well, almost everyone. The Chief has her own, lighter pack, but I’m only carrying a few pouches. I don’t even get a weapon. Beside my wing-blades, of course.
Most of the town has gathered around the front gate, early as it is, to see the expedition team off. Not every departure of the expedition team attracts such a crowd, but this is markedly different from any past expedition in recent memory. For the first time, Haven will be without Chief Lichtrufer for a few days. As rousing and convincing as her speech was, there’s still a palpable feeling of uncertainty in the air. Will Haven be alright without her? Will she and the Expedition team make it back in one piece?
The Chief, staff in hand, turns to scan every face present in the crowd, as they all look upon her with worry. Having gleaned the general mood, she sighs, walking back through the expedition team to stand before the people of Haven.
“It doesn’t take a soulseer to read the obvious concern on all your faces. Which is it? Do none of you have any confidence in my ability to survive beyond Haven’s walls, or is it a lack of confidence in the remaining council members’ ability to perform their duties in my absence?” She crosses her arms as many sheepishly look away.
“Well… Since you became Chief, Haven has never been without its Chief, making sure everything runs smoothly every day and that everyone gets along…” Tiff trails off, as the Chief walks up to her and holds her hands.
“And I am leaving Haven in capable hands, Tiffany. Haven has stood for far longer than my tenure as Chief. It will survive a few days without me.” The Chief smiles, doing her best to comfort Tiff.
“You’re certain you won’t be walking into a trap, Chief Lichtrufer?” Anton questions, focusing his gaze on Crow, who is standing close to Rann and trying to hide himself from the crowd gathered around the gate.
“Even if it is a trap, in no way could they have prepared adequately for who will be walking into that trap. Even if they planned to encounter a mage, it is even less likely that they’re prepared for the likes of Marina.” The Chief answers, brushing off Anton’s concern.
“It is quite apparent that you haven’t even given Miss Retali a weapon, Chief Lichtrufer.” Anton raises an eyebrow slightly, glancing across at me.
“She has plenty of weapons. Eight, in total. She’s more well-armed than anyone in the whole village.” She shrugs.
“She is…?” Crow asks, taking a step before me as he scans me up and down. He knows my cloak is magic, as it hides my wings, but now he ponders what else I have hidden in there.
“Marina, could you please demonstrate to Crow just how well-armed you are?” The Chief smiles at me.
Barely a moment before I process what she said, both wings rush out from beneath the cloak, stretching upwards to the sky as all eight blade-feathers flick outwards to full length, shining in the dim light of the early dawn.
Crow looks like he’s seen an actual demon.
“... C-creepy winged demon familiar…” He stutters out, taking a step back from me.
“Well, when she does that, that’s certainly what she comes off as.” The Chief sighs, walking back past me and pushing one of the guard’s spare spears into my hands. “Here. A weapon you seem to have an easier time handling.”
I do feel more confident with a spear to back up my wings. This one is made for spearing people, too, so it’s actually people-sized, not bear-hunting sized.
“If that’s everything…” The Chief raises her voice, turning to face the crowd once more. “Then I see no reason for us to delay any longer…?”
Crow takes a nervous step forward, hesitating for a moment before speaking up.
“Um… I’m not leading the Chief into an ambush. She made a very kind offer to us, the Wolf Pups, and I don’t want to jep… jepo… I don’t want to ruin it. I promise to all of you, everyone in Haven, that the Chief and everyone else will make it back to Haven safely. I’m sorry for the trouble I caused, and I hope… you’ll be as forgiving to the other Wolf Pups as you have been with me.” Having said his piece, he takes a step back, only to bump into Rann.
“You’re a good kid, Crow.” Rann smiles, ruffling Crow’s hair before turning towards the gates, raising his voice to yell “Open the gates!”
With a heave, the heavy wooden gates of Haven rumble open, leaving a channel through the mud in its wake. With a clunk, they open as wide as they’ll go, and with a confident step forward with the Chief at the helm, the Expedition Team sets off once more into the depths of the Abyss.
Rann, Rob, and Crow are at the front of the group, with the Chief and I close behind them. Einar, Johnny, and the twins from the rearguard, with the group in a rough circle around the Chief and I.
We’re only moving for about ten minutes or so before we come to a stop to discuss our next move.
“So, Crow. How do you suggest we reach the Dead Hollows?” Rann asks, leaning on his greatsword.
“I thought you already knew how to get there.” Crow responds, confused over why he’s being asked this in the first place.
“I know a way to get there. I assume you know a better way there.” Rann shrugs lightly.
“... We have an outpost. We can meet up with my squad there, then take a safer route to our base in the Hollows. I can lead you there once we cross the red stream.” Crow nods.
“Ya mean the Seepin’ Wound, kid?” Johnny calls from the back of the group.
“The… Oh. I get it.” Crow takes a second before nodding in agreement at the apt description, and our adventurer’s party starts moving again down the winding road.
Another hiking trip across the Abyss. So soon after the last. I was hoping I’d get time to practise… attempting to fly. I could have complained about being dragged out like this, but the Chief’s mind is set, and there’s no changing that. What she wants, she gets.
On the plus side, I do get to watch the Chief as she takes in the sights of the Abyss beyond Haven’s walls, and all the confused, disgruntled, and concerned faces she’s pulling. It’s her first time outside Haven in well over a decade.
“Rann…” She raises her voice, only to trail off again.
“Something the matter, Chief?” Rann answers, glancing back.
“The trees are smaller than I remember. And less grotesque than you described…” She continues, raising an eyebrow.
“You were smaller, then. And you kept your eyes down the whole trek back home.” Rann chuckles.
“Eh? Was she scared of the trees?” Crow looks back at the Chief.
“I’m sure that isn’t what Rann was implying.” She threateningly smiles back.
“I-I mean… I’m not making fun of you, I don’t like looking at them either…” Crow quickly backpedals, fully aware of what the Chief is capable of.
The rule of thumb of the Expedition team is that you stay quiet once you cross the Seeping Wound headed eastward. As far as anyone else in the Abyss knows, there’s little of worth in the western side of the Abyss, and absolutely nothing of worth west of the Seeping Wound. Just trees, fire pits, and more trees, but every last one of them are invaluable to Haven’s protection. The ordinary curtain that conceals the extraordinary.
We’re still some ways from crossing the Wound, hence the chatter. Not much else to do while walking across the Abyss.
“I do have one question, Crow.” Rann says, keeping his eyes forward.
Crow glances up at Rann, nodding for him to continue.
“Why’d you decide to follow us back?” Rann asks.
“We knew your group. You visited the sweet-tree grove near our outpost a few times. You looked like you had good stuff, but you were small and left as soon as you got what you wanted. It was when I heard you hunting the giant bear to the south. You had a big sled and were dragging it somewhere. I had to find out where.” He responds between deep breaths. It’s not easy for him to keep pace with Rann and Rob’s stride when they’re both over six foot tall.
“You didn’t see us kill it?”
“If I did, I would have known about your freaky wings, wing girl.” Crow growls, shooting a look back at me. “How did you know I was following you? How did you know I was hiding in the roof?”
“I’m naturally very perceptive.”
The Chief jabs my side lightly. “Don’t lie, Marina.”
“Okay, I don’t have a good explanation of it. I got these wings when I woke up in the Abyss, and I haven’t been here very long. They just… I feel more aware of my surroundings, especially when they’re out in the air. It sends a chill down the back of my neck when I… or they… notice something out of place.”
Crow glances at the Chief, then back at me; specifically at the cloak tied around my neck. “Did the wit- the… the Chief make that cloak with her magic?”
“According to Marina, it was a gift from an old man she met out in the Abyss.” The Chief answers. “Before you ask, no, she isn’t lying about that.”
“Hmm…” Crow raises an eyebrow, before turning his head to keep his eyes forward again.
On we march. The longer I’ve spent here, the more boring the surroundings get. You’d think you could never get used to being surrounded by horrible, twisted trees with leering faces carved into their bark, always being watched by their hollow eyes that seem to follow you as you move past them, but now they’re just… trees. Spend long enough in hell, and the mud, the humidity, the cold nights and the smoke-smothered skies just become part of your new, routine life. Though I suppose I’ve yet to see the worst the Abyss has to offer, given what the others have told me.
Given Haven’s location is a secret, there’s three commonly known areas in the west of the Abyss; the Stonefields, the Ghostwood, and the Bloody Mire. The Stonefields are the only one I’ve witnessed, but given how deathly silent that place was… I’d rather not go back there anytime soon. The Ghostwood is to the northwest, a forest of bone-white trees on cracked grey earth that sucks the life out of anything that steps foot in it. Crow has apparently witnessed this happen himself. A carrion hawk took one step in and disintegrated before his eyes.
Stolen novel; please report.
Then, along the northwestern cliff edges is the Bloody Mire, which the Seeping Wound feeds into. A large swamp of sticky, cloying blood-red muck infested with insects and carnivorous lizards that live in the swamp. It runs west until it hits the rocky outcrops that form the northern shield of Haven, which thankfully also shields Haven from the smell of the swamps. Mostly. There are still days when there’s the inescapable stench of rust in the air wafting down from the north.
We reach and cross the Seeping Wound without issue before midday. With silence now enforced along with the fact that we’re officially in hostile territory, the group picks up the pace as Crow takes the lead to guide us to his outpost. Soon, we’re off the beaten tracks that criss-cross the Abyss, trudging through the muddy ditches, ducking under low-hanging trees, and trying not to slip on the exposed rocks that litter the ground.
Thing is, the path that Crow has us following is clearly one used by people his size. By kids.
Not six-foot-tall men like Rob, or Rann. Or anyone taller than a young adult, really.
Johnny grunts, making a gesture to convey that he wishes to talk. Rann gives the approval.
“Right, Rann, it’s good we’re takin’ this secret path and all, but has nobody else noticed we’ve barely gotten more than a mile in the past hour tryin’ to get through this damn labyrinth of mud-soaked shit?” Johnny groans, getting his boot unstuck from between two rocks lodged in the mud.
Rann takes another step forward, his forehead softly but audibly clunking against the suspended root of a tree in his path. “No, Johnny. We haven’t.”
“This is the fastest route to the outpost. It’s not my fault some of you are giants…” Crow huffs, standing on a rock that puts him at eye level with most of the expedition team.
“It may be the fastest for you, Crow, but it’s not working for the rest of us. It’s slowed us down quite considerably.” The Chief notes, brushing some dirt off her cloak.
“We’ll reach a tunnel soon. The tunnel will take us straight to the outpost that goes under the road. We’ll get there much faster than by following the road, and it’ll be safer too!” Crow says, pointing forwards to a barely-visible path through the trees.
“How soon?” The Chief raises an eyebrow.
“In an hour soon.” Crow nods. The Chief takes his word on it.
If the tunnel’s faster, and the Chief accepts that Crow says it’ll only be another hour, then it’s not too bad. I just wish all these branches didn’t stick out of the roots of these damn-
“Gaahhh!!” I yell out in pain, falling to my knees.
A branch that the Chief pushed to the side to get past it goes flying back once she lets go of it, whacking me on the thigh exactly where Han accidentally hit me with an arrow. A wound that hadn’t exactly healed by now, but it didn’t sting as much. Until now.
“Marina!” The Chief yells, turning on the spot to help me back onto my feet. “By Turona… don’t tell me that hit you right on the arrow wound.”
“It hit me right on the arrow wound.” I do my best to smile through the searing pain running up my side.
“I said don’t tell me…” She hisses, checking my leg. “Tch… the wound’s reopened. Hold my staff, Arshiya. Arshak, get me the bandages from my pack.”
The twins follow the Chief’s orders, taking her staff and handing her the bandages which she quickly wraps tightly around my leg. These are the new pants Tiff made for me, so I’d rather not get them covered with blood so soon.
“Is she hurt that bad after being whacked with a stick?” Arshak asks, peering over the Chief’s shoulder.
“We are to present ourselves in as positive an image as possible, Arshak. It won’t do if one of us is limping with blood running down their leg.” She responds, tying a knot with the bandages to secure them in place.
“Ah, so it’s for the sake of our image that you’re fussing over me.”
“I can always leave you to bleed out if that’s what you wish.” The Chief shoots a glare at me as she stands back up. “Come on, let’s get moving ag-aaaaain!!”
The Chief lets out a sudden yelp as she slips on a muddy patch, landing squarely butt-first on a flat outcrop of rock. Everyone just looks on in stunned silence at the Chief’s literal slip-up.
“Ahem. Arshiya, my staff please.” She says, standing back up and dusting herself off.
Arshiya wordlessly hands the Chief’s staff back to her. The Chief smiles, carefully stepping down from the rock and moving to stand beside Crow. We all silently agree that, for the Chief’s sake, we saw nothing, and the Chief never slipped and fell on her arse.
“Now, Crow. Can you point to, roughly, where the entrance to this tunnel is?” She asks, a smile on her face.
“It’s… that way.” Crow points.
“Good.” She smiles, holding her staff horizontally in both hands. “Now, stand back, while I expedite our travel time.”
“... Chief, I’m not sure-” Rann starts,
“Stand back.” The Chief repeats, as a strange crackling fills the air, and golden lines start to appear and trace out glyphs and circles in front of her staff.
“Chief.” Rann puts his hand on the Chief’s staff, lowering it as the magic circle quickly dissipates. “Not here.”
“We’re not near any frequently used path, Rann. Why not here?” She sighs, flipping her staff back vertically and leaning against it, arms crossed.
“You fire off a great big beam of light and you’ll attract every living thing this side of Dead Man’s Dream. The tunnel’s not far. You don’t need to blow a path straight to it.” Rann answers.
“Tch… If you insist. Let’s get moving again.” The Chief lets out another annoyed sigh, setting off in the direction Crow pointed towards, as the rest of us follow along behind her.
“Girl.” Einar says, nearly making me jump out of my skin.
“E-Einar! Yes! H-hi!”
“Do you know why Haven’s gates are so new.” He… asks, I think. It’s hard to tell, given how monotone his voice is.
“The Chief designed them, didn’t she?”
“Yes.” Einar smiles dryly. “She destroyed the previous gates with the spell she attempted to use just now.”
… Huh. Wait, who told me that the gates were designed by… Oh, I know who.
“I see. Johnny left that out when he told me about the gates.”
“That’s because Johnny knows that certain details are best left out of future retellings for brevity’s sake.” The Chief calls back. Point taken.
We resume our hike through the Abyss, slowly but steadily making progress as we navigate through the maze-like underbrush of the forest. There’s the occasional slip or trip up, often accompanied by a string of curses, but the path Crow is leading us along is straightforward enough to follow. At a glance, every direction seems impassable, but in actuality we’ve been moving through a low valley shielding us on both sides from any potential interlopers.
It took a bit more than an hour, but we finally reach the tunnel entrance Crow was talking about.
A tunnel far too small for any of us to actually walk through. It is quite wide, but it’s certainly too short for most of us to stand in. Maybe some of us could crawl through, but Rann and Rob just wouldn’t have the headroom to fit. Which brings up the obvious question…
“How will this jackhorn tunnel help us cross the Abyss, Crow. Rob and I aren’t exactly jackhorn-sized.” Rann comments, crossing his arms and looking down at the small tunnel entrance.
“You’ll all fit, trust me, just lemme… pull… these… out…” Crow grunts, struggling to pull something out from behind a bush near the tunnel.
“Whatever he’s trying to get, go and help him Marina.” The Chief sighs, as the rest of the group fans out to keep an eye on the surroundings.
What Crow is struggling to move isn’t a large block of wood at first glance, but a pile of smooth, evenly-cut pieces of bark, long and wide enough for someone to crouch on. I move around behind the block, helping Crow push them out to the front of the tunnel.
“Nngghh… There. Ten of them. Enough for all of us…” Crow wipes the sweat from his brow, taking the topmost slab of bark.
“I’m not seeing how this helps us in regard to the tunnel, Crow.” The Chief raises an eyebrow, leaning down to peer into the tunnel.
“It’s easy. You just put the board in front of the tunnel…” Crow drops the slab of bark in front of the tunnel, smoothing out the mud before it. “Then you crouch down on it, shimmy forward, and the tunnel will take you right to the outpost!”
“Like sandboarding?!” Arshiya exclaims in glee, pushing past the Chief and Rann to the front of the group.
“Sand-what?” The Chief asks as Arshiya quickly grabs a board of bark of her own, sizing it up.
“She means… Well, yeah, sandboarding. You get a flat bit of wood and take it to the top of a sand dune, and then ride the board down the dune. A lot of kids on Samarkal loved sandboarding.” Arshak explains, as his sister practically runs in circles in joy, holding her board close.
“Well… Yeah, we’re doing the same thing the redhead said. Just, we’re going downhill through a muddy tunnel. It’s faster and safer than walking.” Crow nods.
“It’s Arshak to you, kid.” Arshak scowls.
“You don’t look that much older than me.” Crow scowls back.
“So we just… grab a board of bark, set it down, then push ourselves in?” Rann asks, grabbing a board for himself.
“Yes… Ah!” Crow quickly runs back behind the bush, bringing back a bustle of tightly-packed sprigs of grey leaves, holding them out for people to take. “Hornsage. It means the Jackhorns won’t chase us.”
“Chase us…?” The Chief mutters, taking a sprig of hornsage for herself.
“It’s their tunnels. We should get moving now. It’s a straight shot to the outpost, just make sure you sit in the middle of the board and try not to move, and you’ll get there.” Crow picks his board back up, looking at the mostly unsure group. “So… who wants to go first?”
Hardly a second after Crow spoke, Arshiya had run up, thrown her board on the ground at the tunnel’s entrance, jumped on it, and launched herself down the tunnel, quickly disappearing from view as she glides across the soft, wet earth.
“Arshiya-... tch. Always running off…” Arshak groans, throwing down his board and diving in after his sister.
“Well, the kids make it look easy. Who’s next?” Rann asks, looking over the remaining group members.
“I’ll go.” Einar says bluntly, throwing his board down and pushing himself down the tunnel in a perfect imitation of what the twins had done.
“Do we really gotta just toss the boards down and jump on them like a madman?” Johnny sighs, leaning on his bark board.
“You can push yourself in, or have someone else push you if you want. I’ll go last after everyone else.” Crow says, peering down the tunnel to make sure nobody’s gotten stuck.
“Well.” Rann pats Rob on the back. “You’re up next.”
“I doubt I’ll even fit…” Rob mumbles, setting down his board.
“That’s what we’re going to find out.” Rann grins. “On you get. I’ll give you a push.”
With another glum sigh, Rob gets down on his knees and crouches down on the board, shuffling it forward to the tunnel’s entrance. It looks like he’ll fit. Barely.
“See, you’ll fit great. We’ll see you there.” Rann chuckles, putting his boot on Rob’s lower back and giving him a shove down the tunnel. “Johnny, you’re next.”
“Alright, alright. Just keep your muddy boot off my backside, I’ll push myself.” Johnny huffs, placing down his board and pushing himself down the tunnel.
“Chief, if you will.” Rann smiles, gesturing towards the tunnel.
“If you insist…” She sighs, setting down her board and carefully crouching down on it, holding her staff between her legs. “Now… I just shimmy forward to the entrance…”
“See you there, Chief.” With a boot to her back, Rann sends the Chief flying down the tunnel.
“RAAAAAANNNnnnnnnnn…” She yells back, her voice fading into the depths of the tunnel.
“Marina.” Rann smiles at me. Guess it’s my turn…
I set my board down, holding the hornsage in my hand. It’s got a strangely pungent odour that isn’t pleasant, but isn’t necessarily unpleasant either.
“I’ll push myself, Rann. I don’t need a ki-”
<
“ICK!!!”
My wings automatically rush out from under my cloak, extending their blades onto to get them all lodged in the muddy walls of the tunnel, stopping me in my tracks right in the entrance as my backside throbs in pain from Rann’s bootprint.
“Marina. You’re not going anywhere with your wings out like that.” Rann leans down into the tunnel entrance, raising an eyebrow at my predicament.
“You… ugh. Wings. Back in the cloak.”
My wings try to move, getting a couple blades free from the mud, but the rest are more hard-stuck, as my wings start to flap helplessly trying to get them out.
“You… Come on, fine, I’ll pull you out myself.”
A firm grip on each wing gets them unstuck from the walls, and the downward slope of the tunnel quickly gets me moving again. Way faster than I expected as I’m thrust into pitch-black darkness.
I have no choice but to keep myself as small as possible and cling to this board and fight back the urge to hit the wing-breaks ahead. I can’t see what’s ahead of me nor what’s behind me. The only senses I feel is the air rushing past me and a deep, earthy scent filling my nose. I thought I could hear the distant screaming of the Chief some ways ahead of me, but the only sound in my ears, beneath the rushing of stale air…
A deep, steady thudding. Perfectly rhythmic. Is it… my own heartbeat? No. I can feel my heartbeat, it’s at a different rate to this noise…
Oh, is that light ahead? Am I reaching the end- Oh.
The tunnel suddenly disappears beneath me, the bark falling away from me as we reach a larger, lit open space. The twins, Einar, Rob and Johnny are standing in a group, across from two small, cloaked figures. There’s something on the ground in front of… Oh. that’s the Chief.
And I’m going to land on top of her!-
As desperately as my wings try to slow me down or catch me mid-air, there’s no saving me from landing right on top of the Chief with a heavy thud.
“MARINA! Get! off!” The Chief yells, trying to push me off her.
Wait, if I landed on the Chief, then that means Rann’s going to come out any second!
“Hold still for a sec!” I wrap my arms around the Chief as she tries to get up still, quickly pulling her up and rolling us over a couple times, just out of the way as Rann hits the ground where we were with a loud thud.
“Well…” Rann coughs, wiping the dirt from his forehead as he pushes himself upright. “That knocked a couple years off my clock…”
“Marina, while I appreciate you saving me from being flattened by Rann, would you kindly get off me now?” The Chief growls, still pinned beneath me.
“R-right, sorry, Chief…” I shouldn’t mention how soft a landing pad she made.
Finally, Crow comes in behind us, landing on his feet in the middle of this… room? What kind of space is this, a cave? And who are the other two in the room?
“Crow.” One of the cloaked figures growls. His voice is as gravelly as Rann’s, but it lacks the dry humorous tone under Rann’s gravel. This person’s voice is just harsh, angry, and bitter.
“I’m back, Hound. With important news for the Queen.” Crow responds, walking over to stand before the cloaked figures.
The two of them pull down their hoods. One is a taller boy, with unkempt black hair, dark brown eyes framing his white pupils, a nasty scar or burn down the right side of his face, and a permanent scowl on his lips. The other is a young girl who looks no older than ten, with long black hair all bunched up in her cloak’s hood, with a few strands of hair hanging over her face and reaching down to her feet. Her features are soft, with big, red eyes full of childlike innocence. The boy glances over at the eight other people Crow has brought along, including me, with my wings just hanging out by my sides.
“What the fuck is this?” The boy says in disbelief.