The night is silent, and deadly. Like me. I used to kill so many people. I've lost count of how many.

The more I think about it, the higher the pile seems.

It used to be so easy to infiltrate areas.

Become invisible to all.

Leave not a speck of dust, lest you be seen.

Do not force the world to speak, lest you be heard.

So easy.

But they just HAD TO MAKE SOMETHING TO STOP ME FROM DOING EXACTLY THAT!

-Ain't that a kick in the dick?-

Rods. In the ground. How do they work? Why do they work? Who would make something like this? Are they stupid? Or do they think they're heroes?

NO. Stop. Observe. Think. They're in a circle. A ritual? No. Too big. A fence? There's nothing in between the rods. Shield? Perhaps.

I inch towards it. Nothing so far. The rods are brown on the bottom half, and milky white on the top half. There's an air gem on the top. It doesn't smell like anything. It looks blurry. No. There's a thin layer of something right in front of me.

What if I-

No. Something might happen if I touch it.

I walked a few metres away, picked up a pebble and threw it at the barrier. It passed through. I heard a low humming sound. Something was moving. Moving towards me.

I hid behind a tree. After a few minutes I turned to look if there was still someone there. There was. They saw me. They didn't move. Walking away was the best thing to do at this moment. Once I was far enough away, they turned and sat back down.

How could i effectively sneak inside?

-Break the rods like twigs in your hand!-

No.

-Scream at the top of your lungs to distract them.-

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Or I could throw a pebble through and run through at the same time.

-Yeah, but that's like so last decade.-

Almost no rocks here. Found one. I aimed up at the night sky. So beautiful, full of stars. I don't know if there is anything as beautiful as this.

This needed to be timed perfectly. This might seem like an insurmountable obstacle, but I WILL find a way through it.

POV: Seicig

The barrier is pretty easy to bypass if you have the right materials. It takes an object with a wind gem and an earth gem. You only need to hold it, and walking through becomes a breeze. The trouble is finding something like that in the wild. I saw someone standing in front of the barrier.

"Kykvendi?" He turned to look at me for a split second before getting into a battle stance and pointed a rifle at me. I looked at Saethwyr. He saw it too. He aimed his crossbow at Kykvendi. I stepped between Saethwyr and Kykvendi. I walked through the barrier towards him.

"It's me, Seicig. You want to come in, right?" He dropped his shoulders.

"Yes." I grabbed his hand and pulled him through the barrier. Now everyone was back at camp. It still smelled like dead animal. Kykvendi looked lost in thought. He moved sluggishly, and clumsily.

"What's that smell?"

"A direwolf attacked Milder. That's why we have the barrier set up. Otherwise it'd attract scavengers."

"Can I eat it?"

"I don't think you'd want to. It's raw and infected. Wait." I pinched his hand. The skin stayed in its position.

"You need water. Now."

"I feel fine."

"You're not fine."

"I said I feel fine!" His hand started burning. He put it out and put his left foot first and his face second. I hate when people don't listen to me.

When he came to, I helped him sit up and handed him my waterskin. He emptied the bottle in seconds.

"Saethwyr told me what happened. Why were you throwing rocks at the barrier?"

"I was trying to find a way inside."

"Could you not just have walked through? We all know who you are."

"I..."

He didn't finish his sentence. I can't begin to imagine what went through his head at the time. It's best I just leave him to sleep. I helped him into his tent and walked back to my own.

"Shut up." Kykvandi was whispering to himself.

"Killing them wouldn't help me at all." That was reassuring, but still concerning. I need step in before his mind goes to darker places. Or at least understand the context behind this. Asking directly might anger him. I need to tread around this issue carefully.

"Are you alright in there?"

He looked up at me, bloody tears falling and a melting sound. "I'm just sleeping."

"Do you get nightmares often?"

"...Yes."

"Do you think cuddling might help?"

"I don't know."

"Either way, I'm coming in. It's bloody cold and I'm guessing you're warm."

I gestured to Saethwyr, and he walked over to the front of the tent.

"Whatever. I don't care." Kykvendi lied back down.

Before I get in there, I'm gonna get some better sleeping clothes.

I cuddled up right next to Kykvendi. He was REALLY warm. Who needs campfires when you have someone like this? He was just the right temperature, not too hot, but not too cold either. I could sleep like this forever.

I lied with my chest touching his back. He tensed up immediately.

His breathing got deeper and faster. He was practically on fire! I moved back before anything bad happened. He calmed down.

"I'm sorry." Kykvendi simply shook his head.

"Whatever." That was beginning to become his catch-phrase.

Today was tiring. A direwolf attacked Milder, Kykvandi appeared. All I could do now was fall asleep.