My heart rattled when I heard the wyverns approaching. The lurvines turned to flee—but Keal jumped in front of them, snarling and barking and snapping. Sina did the same.

The pack fought back, threatening them with saliva dripping from their teeth, but they lost out, turning away shamefully. Then, they ran toward the river as a pack, moving in the same direction as the wyverns.

I wasn’t tied down, so the pressure of gravity and acceleration threatened to pull me off as we weaved between trees. There were probably three miles left to the river, and we were moving fast. The wyverns were moving even faster. Their cries grew more intense as we ran, and just when we thought that we would make it and have time to dunk Aiden and heal Halten, we entered the jaws of hell.

Hundreds of beasts cried in the distance, crashing into trees in a bloody stampede. It sounded like a Roman battle, depicted in the Iliad or other texts from old, and it only intensified as we approached.

Just when Keal jumped onto the rocky bluff above the river to get a better vantage point, we heard a new and terrifying cry that rocked the heavens. I grabbed my ears and winced, with the lurvines doing the same. It was a wyvern cry, but it was sick, deranged, primal, and furious.

Then all was silent.

I looked into the forest and saw nothing. A light wind blew through the canopies, rustling leaves and leaving a whirling melody that smelled of autumn and peace and tranquility.

Then, there was a loud whack, and a dozen objects hit the trees in rapid succession, followed by yet another shrieking roar.

It was Halten.

Beasts cried out in wild hoops as they retreated through the forest. They came in countless descriptions, each vicious and raw and huge like grizzly bears or something greater, all sporting wounds from some bloody battle, likely fighting over the first to eat Halten. Seeing them fleeing from the river, like a golden stampede in the Serengeti was nerve-wracking.

It only got more intense. I could hear crashing in the distance, perhaps from Emael—the River Guardian—or maybe it was just my imagination as the wyverns behind us released their cries.

“Circle once!” I yelled. “If there’s an opening, take us to the river! If not, move south, we’ll find another spot.”

I wanted to save Aiden, and that could happen at any part of the river. That said, I went through a fuck load of effort to save Halten, and if there were a chance to save him, I would. It didn’t sound likely. He sounded as primal as the birds with soul corruption did, only he was a thousand times their size at least. But if there was a chance, I wanted to know.

Kael snorted and looked at all the second evolution beasts—or higher—kicking up dust from the forest as if to say, You’re insane to even suggest that.

“Fine.” I got off and untied Aiden.

Sina growled at me, and I turned at her with raised eyebrows and continued. I released Aiden.

“Come on, Kline.”

Kline increased his invisible body and I put Aiden onto it, sitting on him as well. But before we could leave, Sina jumped in front of us.

“Wh~at?” I asked sharply.

Sina growled, and I couldn’t tell what that meant.

“What?" I scoffed. “We’re teleporting. Okay? They won’t be able to find you.”

I took her gesture to mean, You’re being selfish to put us in danger, but when we tried to move, she followed.

“What do you want? Are you worried you won’t evolve in time? Here.” I pulled out the Diktyo River water bottle. “This’ll give you another three days to evolve. So consider our contract sett—”

Sina growled, and Halten did the same, releasing another cry as beasts crashed into trees. Then came Thorvel and the wyverns, releasing terrible cries above us.

“I…” I looked at Sina and saw genuine concern. It was… bizarre but moving as well. Yet… I couldn’t just back down. Not now. I told Emael and Thorvel I was going to create the elixir, and I did.

I think that’s what was driving me toward the river so desperately. That pact. The declaration to Thorvel that I was going to create the elixir and did. That’s why I wanted to go instead of just saying screw it and searching for another river.

It wasn’t rational. If I were, I would have prioritized self-preservation or at least frozen in fear when I saw the stampede of beasts.

But…

I couldn’t do that. Halten, Emael, Brindle, Yakana… each one of these beings had helped me survive.

Yakana helped me in the river on the first day. Help me build a core in the first week. Taught me how to cleanse to convince Emael that I was Brindle’s pupil and could be useful to this forest.

Brindle helped me make the elixir.

Emael forgave me for unbalancing the natural order.

Halten protected me with his body.

Aiden saved my life.

I don’t believe in heroics but I do believe in life debts. And right then, facing the option to run or see through the promise I made to Emael, Halten, and Aiden to heal the guardians’ cores and to respect Brindle and Yakana’s aid in completing it, I decided that I needed to at least see the river.

“Thank you, Sina,” I said as Thorvel and the wyverns flew over us. “But… I need to try. If it’s messed up… I’ll come back immediately. I’ll just say screw it and leave. But I need to try. Kline.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Sina tried to protest, but Kline jumped through a portal, and we flew toward the gates of hell.

2.

My stomach lurched as Kline landed in the forest. There were five beasts the size of grizzlies around us, each with different heads and bodies and claws. They rushed at us, but Kline warped again, and we blinked into a new location where beasts couldn’t see us. In three more bounds, we made it to the river, where we could witness the horror of the situation.

Halten’s wings had been ripped to shreds, eaten by beasts along with part of its body. I instantly felt pain just looking at him, imagining how he must have lost concentration from the beasts that broke through. Now, he was rushing around with his claws on shore, plowing into beasts as they jumped at him from all angles, crushing trees and killing beasts in droves.

Over three hundred massive corpses were strewn on the ground, sand dyed red, river light pink downstream. It was a scene from nightmares that made people gasp awake, then hit the bed, heart pounding, trying to get back to sleep so they can forget as they forget all dreams except the worst.

Thorvel reached the river as soon as I got there, slamming into Halten and sending him flying, causing most of the beasts fighting Halten to flee.

“Stop!” I screamed.

Thorvel turned to me with murderous eyes and opened his mouth to turn me to ash, but Emael flew out of nowhere, increasing her size and slamming into him.

Not in my domain!

She released crushing pressure that brought me and Kline and every other beast except Thorvel and the wyverns to their knees. Even weakened, the River Guardian lived up to her name.

But Thorvel didn’t seem awe-inspired. He looked at her with perplexed disgust. You’re injured…

It will heal.

Not in time! Thorvel roared.

Halten suddenly interjected, attacking Emael blindly, but she turned her massive body and slammed into him like a baseball bat, sending his hulking form into the forest Thorvel had burnt down a week prior. Halten hit the blackened wasteland, and the area erupted with black dust that permeated the air.

It will be fine! she screamed.

No it won’t! Thorvel turned to me and then to the pile of corpses. You may protect the ring, but I protect the Bramble, and the Bramble is weak this year! He looked at Halten. That traitor killed hundreds of birds, injured half of my kin, and now… and now, hundreds of beasts are dead before the Migration. Do you not know what that means?

My heart rattled when I felt his intensity, but Emael didn’t back down. She glared at him silently, challenging him as all the beasts in the area fled, save the dying and screaming—suffering—on shore.

Hundreds of beasts are now dead. And that means that it’ll be easier this year! People will get further than they’ve ever gotten. Earn more than they ever received! New blood will strike it rich, and it’ll give every damn one of them hope that they can go further next year!

My stomach sank when I understood the gravity of the situation. The Migration culled the Harvesters, acting as a deterrent for people to go too far in the forest. “Get in, get your stuff, and get out. Don’t push the envelope.” That’s what the Bramble was supposed to be—that’s how Brindle saw it. But this year…

This year, I had killed or inadvertently killed over a thousand beasts. Hundreds a week before. Dozens while returning to the alchemy station. More on the way back. Each one of those beasts was supposed to act as a deterrent—and now, none of them would greet the Harvesters. It would start a gold rush, bringing out more people the year after.

It would be a disaster.

Do you know how many people are gathering out there? Thorvel screamed. There’s a fucking army!

My soul wrenched at his words.

Whatever this… thing… did, Thorvel turned to me, is bringing out an army this Harvest! And now, as we’re already weak, you’ve decided to let her live—when your soul was weak? Are you serious!

A strange pressure built within me when she looked at me, and I blurted out a protest without thinking.

“I can heal her!”

“Silence!” Thorvel screamed.

“I made a soul elixir! Brindle helped me—”

I don’t care! Thorvel panned his gaze between Emael to me. Brindle was a leader—he isn’t our god. Our pact—our creed—is to protect this forest. That’s all. And ever since you’ve come here, you’ve done nothing but destroy it! I don’t care if it’s your fault. I don’t care what you’ve done. I don’t care what you’ve made or what you’ll do. Your presence is threatening everything!

I bit my lip bitterly. The Oracle announced my presence without my input and started this mess. The Oracle sent me here, and I had done everything I had just to survive. It wasn’t my fault—

—but I understood.

Thorvel seemed unreasonable, but his job was to protect the forest, and my presence had messed that up. Now, there was an “army” of Harvesters coming into the forest in three weeks to have a heyday.

I refused to leave this forest against my will. I refused to see fault in my actions. But at the same time, I couldn’t blame him.

Thorvel narrowed his eyes at Emael and snorted. Now, even this ring’s guardian is injured. Pathetic.

But—

—that final addition really pissed me off.

“I can fix her soul!” I yelled.

Thorvel turned to me with rage in his eyes. Do you want to die?

“Do you want to protect the forest or not?” I yelled. “‘Cause Emael’s sick right before the Harvest, and you’re acting like healing her is worthless!”

Thorvel’s eyes widened, and he turned to Emael. You told her your name?

Emael looked at me with a complex gaze. I did not.

Then who?

My chest twisted into a hot knot of rage and then it exploded. “Brindle!” I screamed. “What part of Brindle’s student don’t you fucking get? You might not care but stop treating it like it isn’t true. I cleansed that fucking river, and…” I pulled off my backpack, jumped onto the river’s shore, and pulled out a large, vibrant jar of Teelia elixir. “He helped me make these!”

Is that… Emael looked into my eyes. That’s the Teelia elixir. Is it not?

“It is.”

Where did you get it?

“I just told you—Brindle.”

No. Where did you find the Teelia flower?

I looked down to see if Aiden was conscious. He wasn’t, but I covered his ears with my palms, anyway. “Brindle led me to a secret location,” I said.

Thorvel turned his glassy eye to me. Halten cried out in the distance. The wyverns surrounded him, preparing to strike.

“Wait!” I screamed. “I brought an elixir for him, too!”

He’s beyond saving. Thorvel said coldly.

No… Emael said. He’s not. She walked up to me as I opened the jar, and she snorted it with her large nostrils. Not with this.

I nodded. “Does that mean you’ll trust me?”