The sun was rising before I even woke. I knew it was the day. How was I going to be able to do this? I felt that Shino’s parents deserved to know about how it happened. I had only one hope today. I hoped that Joseph wouldn’t pull anything.

“Your behind Zen. Hurry and dress. We need to be heading to the appointed part of the spire.” Snell was trying to get his other leg into his own pants. “At this rate we will be the only ones late.”

I stood up and got dressed as quickly as I could. I found my best pair of pants and my most decent shirt. I was glad Sir Williams soul had turned all my clothes black. I just seemed fitting for today.

Snell and I headed out on our way towards the spire. I had missed my run today and I could tell. The run woke my body up every morning. It also helped me with my thoughts. After missing it today I could feel my mind racing. I couldn’t let myself fall into this habit.

As we approached the far side of the spire I noticed we weren't the only ones late. Also missing was father Albert, Joseph, and Shino’s own parents. Maybe I wasn’t the only one who had over slept. Judging by the sun it was still early so I decided I should still go to my designated spot.

I heard a noise above me. As I looked up I noticed on the spire four shapes walking down the steps that had appeared in what seemed another life.

“Saints of the light. I know you helped father Albert. Could I ask for one little thing. Please tell me why I feel so lost?” I already felt the tears in my eyes. I knew that of all the days I’ve had since that battle today would be the worst.

Child of the moon. You may be lost. To be lost is to learn. To journey. To find who you are and who you want to be.

It was then that I realized that someone was singing the dwarven hum. I felt my vocal cords and surprised it was me. I heard another person chime in.

Child. It won’t be easy. You still face yet more heartache. But you have a power that all have but few use. A power to choose. You will have great feats, but at the same time destructive losses. The path you follow is your own. It all depends on what you choose.

The four figures reached the part of the spire that was going undergrown. I noticed a bridge had been constructed. As the figures walked across to us I noticed it was the missing four people. Joseph was talking to Shino’s father while Shino’s mother was staying closer to Albert.

“We have all gathered here today to remember a soul as bright as this tower. A soul that left us to soon” Albert’s voice though quite rang across the lands. It felt like it would reach another realm.

“Some of us shouldn’t be here.” Shino’s father was staring at me. “Some of us killed my son. Awfully bloody they made.”

“Even killers deserve the right to explain themselves sir.” Joseph made sure he could be heard.

“Enough both of you. We are here to remember the dead. Not to accuse others of their death.” Albert’s rough tone stopped everyone. “Now let’s continue.”

The sun soared through the sky as everyone had their turn to talk that had known Shino. It all started with Shino’s mother. Finally it was my turn. I got up and took my place.

“Murderer!” People were yelling it from the group at the funeral.

“I didn’t murder Shino.” The tears weren’t stopping. Underneath those tears I could feel an angel forming.

“Zen is going to tell us what happened. So everyone shut up. He has been nothing but respectful this whole time.” Albert sat back down from where he had just stood up from.

As I started my telling of the fateful day I felt everyone watching. I took several deep breaths. I had to close my eyes just to tell it all without crying to much. I knew that it was hard to tell. I feel like even harder to hear.

“He is the son of a demon!” My mother shouted from the crowd. I had just finished retelling the events of the day.

“Kill him!” Shino’s father stood up. “If not for him Shino would be alive. Nobody cared about Zen anyways!”

“That child must be a demon himself!” Joseph was smirking as he chided in. “May the saints protect us from his evil!”

I couldn’t help myself. I took off running. I could hear them still yelling but thankfully nobody followed. Why did I even care if they knew what happened to Shino? It not like they actually cared. They only cared about finding a way to blame me. I have to get away from here.

I ran until the dark swallowed the land. It was then that I finally stopped. I found a tree that had a hollow in it. I swished in the tree manner. It shivered in response and opened a hole under it’s roots. I crawled in. I let myself cry. A cry that was sadness at the past but also an anger at the present. Not just the present, but also at myself and all those at the funeral.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I had a restless sleep under the tree. The only good part at this exact moment is that I was alone. I didn’t have to deal with anyone. I had never truly felt so scared and alone. At least when I had lived with mother there was her presence there. Even though I was always trying to make her proud of me and yet I knew she never cared. I hadn’t had the scar completely blown open. Then the death of the one I thought of as a brother hurt even more.

What if that’s what life was? What if every time you got to close the people you care about left? Or maybe not? I mean there is Snell, Lucy, and Zoran. I care for them. They are my family also. And little Tibby. It might not be a big family but it’s better than nothing.

I saw the dawn growing and the morning light peeking at me. As I crawled from my spot under the trees roots I gave a swishing thank you to the tree. I at least know that even when alone if I respect the nature around me I’m not completely alone.

I started stretching for a morning run. It’s what I needed right now. Maybe if I ran back in the direction I came I would run into everyone. If not I could always track them. I got up and saw five figures on the horizon. Was it a goblins band? Not possible. The sizes were to different.

I started jogging towards the figures. It didn’t take long until I recognized the form of Snell. How had they caught up so quickly? I took off in the late afternoon. I had ran half the night.

“Snell! I’m here.” I started waving.

I saw two more figures behind them moving faster. They were on horseback. I picked up my pace. I had to hurry. Here came a third figure.

As I reached Snell and the others they started all talking at once. I hushed them with my hands.

“Look there! Who are they?” I started to point urgently as the horses got closer.

I recognized Joseph on the horse in the lead. He was unsheathing his sword. Behind him was Thomas’ squire. He looked frantic. I had a feeling that I needed to draw the hidden blade.

Wait I had left the hidden blade back at the spire. I hadn’t put it on yesterday when I got dressed. I didn’t think I would have been in such a rush to get away.

Lucy put his hand on my shoulder.

“Here. With a grab like that you must be looking for this.” Lucy pushed the hidden blade into my hands.

Joseph was pulling his horse to a stop and jumping off almost simultaneously. I pulled the blade from its scabbard. It was at that moment the third figure fell off his horse. It was Thomas himself. He had Joseph pinned to the ground. Then I noticed his arm. It was missing. He had his right arm but his left was bandaged at the elbow.

“You think you can pull this kind of stunt Joseph? First my arm. What next die fighting Zen?” Thomas’ fury shone bright. “Squire bound him in the ropes you brought. He will become the squire of the chained blacksmith when I’m done.”

“Sir!” The squire brought the ropes. The tear stains in his cheek gave away that he had been crying.

I heard a hunting horn in the distance. As the squire bound Joseph a group of four appeared. Upon those horses sat two familiar faces. The old man and the woman from the tent.

“We have yet to introduce ourselves to you young Zen. I am Wolf. Named after the animal that was my grandfather’s familiar. Protected our family when he died.” The old man was staring at Joseph.

“I am Quincy. Named after my mother who in return is named after her mother. And so the line counties back for generations and continues to my daughter. I hope one day you get to meet her.” The woman gave me a look. “She is a protector to mount valor. The mountain of legends. To the east that is. Not much older than you either.”

“I would be honored ma’am. But I don’t even know where mount valor is.” I held my head high. I wanted to appear like I would deserve praise no matter how little I felt I deserved it.

“Now we must be on our way. Thomas your case is set. Time for Joseph to face trial for his actions.” Wolf tied Joseph between his horse and Quincy’s. Thomas took the sword and put it back in it’s sheath on Joseph’s horse.

“Let’s get this fool back to where he belongs. I say the chained forge should be good enough.” Thomas was glaring at Joseph while he mounted his own horse.

“Until next time brave travelers. We have urgent business to deal with in Harbinger. And you all have an important date with the tamers forest.” Wolf gave us a bow. In unison him and Quincy spurred on their horses. The group disappeared out of our site.

“What’s going on?” I still felt the shock leaving my body.

“That Zen is what happens when everyone bands with a delusional fool. Thomas tried to stop Joseph coming after you. Shino’s father killed two people before he lost his own life. It was chaos.” Snell put his hand on my shoulder.

“Good thing Zoran and Snell are trackers. They followed your tracks. And Lucy saved me and cute Tibby here.” Elena rubbed Tibby’s head.

“Why did you come Elena?” I was shocked. I figured she hated me too.

“I have never been fooled by Joseph. All he has ever done is spout lies. He wants to be the hero so let him at his own cost.” Elena was grinning. “Kind of exciting already though. I can’t wait until I record this all tonight.”

“My question is how did Joseph escape. They already had him tied up good.” Lucy had a look of complete contemplation. “Zen do you know who those other three boys from your town were?”

“They always hung out with Joseph. Just like Shino. They did whatever Joseph told them to. Problem is they were younger than we us. They just wanted to fit in.” I remembered well how all the others always hid behind Joseph whenever something went wrong. The blame always falling in my lap by Joseph.

“I believe that one of those boys is responsible for his escape. Shino’s mother couldn’t have done it. She had a serious injury. Probably wasn’t going anywhere to fast.” I could see the cogs turning even more in Lucy’s mind.

“There was one boy. Always followed Joseph like a shadow. Would do anything for Joseph.” Elena stared at the ground.

“Who is he Elena?” Lucy seemed even more contemplative, if that was even possible.

“I don’t know his name. I always avoided them when we were younger. Joseph scares me. But it was the smallest of the three boys.” Elena started kicking the dirt. “It might not have been any of them though.”

“I know. It just makes the most sense. Granted Joseph had a lot of them thinking Zen was a murderer. But those three make the most sense for Joseph’s escape. The rest were either wounded or don’t want the noose for that sort of thing.” Lucy slapped the ground with his palm. “Though we don’t know yet we might find out one day.”

“Let’s get going Lucy. We still have a long journey to the tamers forest.” Zoran put her arm on his shoulder.

“She’s right. We can keep investigating as we continue on. Zen here has given us a lead on this journey. We should be out of these lands in a few days.” Snell stretched. “Better than the week we had predicted.”