Hexlith rubbed the top of his head as he looked through the branches down at the ground below. His blue gaze pierced the thicket, spotting a pack of dire wolves on the hunt. Trailing behind them flew an assortment of crows- five in total- soaring in a sort of unison, even as two veered off to the left and right. Their cold, scanning eyes searched the forest for any sign of prey, and when they finally found it-

  “Squaa- ” Splat.

  What first sounded like a blaring alarm turned into a bloodcurdling screech- one that made Hexlith wince as he brushed the welt Pounnem had left on his noggin. His eyes moved from the chaos below to check up on his new friend. Her gaze met his almost the second he turned, bringing about an awkward smile on both ends.

  “What now?”

  It was a question that hung heavy in both of their minds, yet only Pounnem had the gall to ask it. Even so, Hexlith’s expression faltered. He didn’t quite have an answer. What was he supposed to say? That they’d just keep running? That was all she had been doing before she met him. He was supposed to change things for her, and despite the confidence he had in his plan, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the paths ahead.

  “How long have you lived like this? Alone, that is.” He rubbed his eyes.

  While he had spent much of his time in the wilderness, he had always known he had a home to return to- at least, up until now. He could only imagine what it was like for her, though soon, he would experience the same fate. The blade at his side weighed as heavy as his burdens, sinking into his newly formed wounds- physical or not.

  When he looked up from his hands to Pounnem, she had a suspicious look in her eye. The moment their gazes met, she quickly looked back down at the tincture he had given her. Swirling it around knowingly, she let out a brief sigh before sipping the amber liquid. Its glittery, almost star-like contents left a glossy sheen on her lips.

  “A few weeks, give or take,” she shrugged.

  Taken aback, Hexlith looked at her with a raised brow. “Wait, I don’t under-”

  “I was one of them.” Pounnem cut in. “The red didn’t appear until I turned ten, but by then, I knew better than to show it off.”

  The Magkin lowered his brow, his gaze narrowing as he scanned Pounnem from head to toe. He was about to speak when a concerning waft of smoke blew over the two. The stench was foul- beyond what trees or shrubbery could smell like. It smelled of… decay.

  Both of their heads snapped in the direction it was coming from, yet hesitation bared its teeth just as fast. Their bodies jolted forward before freezing. Given their circumstances, they had no place to intervene out in the open- not if they wished to cement their escape. It would be foolish to go back now.

  Then again…

  People with heroic souls tend to be foolish.

  Both of them broke into a sprint within the treetops. The smoke swiftly clouded their vision and filled their lungs as they moved, shifting down toward the ground with haste. They didn’t even get a meter down before they heard a cacophony of wings below. Both of them froze in place, bent down, and peered through the thinning smoke.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  The silhouette within the flames was huge, its limbs like tree trunks. Their conviction to intervene faltered in that moment- until, once more, the fluttering of wings beat their way into view. The flames fanned outward, and the wings began to sound like drums, wind pushing through the heat all the way to the treetops. Sap melted and combusted as it dripped to the floor below, igniting the leaves and causing even more smoke. Yet they stood firm, arms covering their mouths, eyes tracing to one another.

  They couldn’t speak in a moment like this, yet an understanding passed between them. This was not something they could intervene in- not unless they wished to die. And yet… they remained, as if waiting for a moment to step in. To help the lumbering creature below.

  It wailed in agony as the Thascleans cut into it, its single eye visible through the smog. Lifeless. As if it could see them. As if it wondered why. Just why.

  Hours passed.

  They smelled of soot and death. The look in their eyes reflected their appearances, and neither spoke during their getaway. They didn’t look back at the smoke filling the forest. Their minds were set. They were leaving- running away from the place that had claimed them for so long.

  Hexlith’s hand fell to his blade every so often, memories of a time before he had to use it shaping in his mind. The look in his father’s obscured gaze. The witty smile his mother wore when he returned home. Most of all, though? He missed Uthwix. He missed the vibrancy of her presence.

  He missed his sister.

  Darkness swelled before them, the mist of the wilderness eclipsing their vision as they traveled into the night. The terrain grew more treacherous, untamed, unlivable. Moving through the canopy became more difficult until they were forced to the ground. They were nearing the border, and as Hexlith realized how far they had come from the city, his pace waned to a halt. With a quick scan of the area, a sigh escaped him, his muscles finally relaxing under the cover of night.

  “We should stop here and set up camp. We’ll make it to the border by midday tomorrow.” Despite their distance from Thasclean stomping grounds, he still couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.

  Yet when Pounnem came back into view and her gaze met his, his worry seemed to wash away. She was smiling, and that was assurance enough.

  “So, what are your plans once we make it to Tulok? You said it yourself- you can’t go back. Then… what’s ahead for you?”

  The world seemed to freeze around the birdman in that moment. His eyes blurred past the foliage before them, focusing instead on the girl beside him. Her words echoed in his ears, and overlapping them? Uthwix’s voice.

  “Nothing… nothing at all.” he paused, “It’d be pretty cool to see Lun-”

  Pounnem raised her hand to silence him before he could finish, her gaze stern for but a moment before softening.

  “You could always keep traveling with me.”

  Silence fell between them.

  Then, the Nephilim broke it with a snicker. “Then again, if you didn’t, I wouldn’t blame you.”

  The Magkin had no immediate answer- only a raised set of eyebrows.

  “Don’t see why not. I’ve got nothing to lose… anymore.” Hexlith sighed before crouching where they stood. “Besides, Tulok’s a land ruled by might. You’ll fit in just fine, but me? I’ll be chewed up and spit out just as quickly as I enter.”

  “I don’t understand. You’re far stronger than I am.” Pounnem’s voice was calm, yet eerily confident.

  It as a confidence Hexlith winced at.

  “Flattering, Pounnem, but no. What you’ve seen is solely based on my knowledge of these lands…”

  The Nephilim’s left brow rose, before giving the Magkin elevator eyes. “Yeah, yeah, you know your shit I get that. I’m talking about your reaction to critical moments, you move as if you’ve had hours to analyze before acting.”

  They shared a glance of recognition in that moment, before moving on with the night...

  ...