Poisonous Fox

I was filled with a mixture of emotions when I saw that Kissen had separated. If she thought there was a credible threat, then why did she let me walk ahead? I would expect that behavior from Larissen, maybe, but not her. Did she have another plan in mind? I tried putting myself in her place, but I still had trouble fathoming her intentions.

When I alerted Sir Kate that the Jungleborn were following us, I heard Lieutenant Muleater’s demand for proof. In response, I shrugged and told her I was uncertain but that I thought I caught their scent. Unfortunately, she wanted something more concrete, and then realized that the Kaiva siblings had fallen so far behind that the humans thought they had separated, and in fact, that might have been the Kaivan siblings' intention. I could still spot them lurking in the distance, but they were well concealed, and if I had not spotted them moving, then I likely would have failed to notice them.

The humans did not take the news well, but without recourse, and with the possibility that the mikuya were behind the siblings' disappearance (they were not, but I kept that to myself), we began picking up the pace, starting to jog, during which, Kate stayed by my side to 'scout’ the way

“I can’t believe we haven’t caught up to those kun yet,” Kate said, eyes focused ahead.

"Assuming they are ahead of us," I answered.

"Right, but you gotta stay positive." Kate shrugged, acting surprisingly optimistic.

She easily kept pace with me, her taller frame giving her a long stride while I labored to keep up.

“Well going off that assumption, they are faster than us,” I responded, my voice colder than intended. "But why would they have gone ahead without telling us?"

"Scouting? Maybe they got tired of waiting around for the rest of us? I don't think the wyrkwik could have caught them without us noticing."

"Anything's possible," I said.

“True. But speaking of how fast your friends are, why aren’t you running ahead with them instead of staying back here?”

So many reasons weighed on my mind, but I wasn't ready to give voice to them. So instead, I called back upon a joke.

“You promised me sword practice,” I replied instead.

"Priorities."

And then we came upon the fork in the gorge where an ancient river must have split. As we were ahead of the rest of the party, we stopped to wait for the rest.

I knew that if the Kaiva wanted to follow us, they could track our scent, but Muleater seemed like the sort that would be upset if we chose a direction without her input. And so, we waited.

Well, that and another reason.

When we reached the fork, up ahead on the left I caught sight of the mikyua meohr, the one covered in vines and moss with green glowing eyes. I grabbed Kate and pulled her back out of view. It was far in the distance, and standing upright, not making any efforts to hide itself. It likely knew we were here, and it had no qualms of returning the favor.

Such alien motivation.

"Wha?" she asked, tensing as our bodies tangled against the cliff-face.

"One of them is up ahead," I explained, the color partially draining from Kate's face.

“...gods. They’re herding us. Not even being subtle about it.”

“That..." I thought about it, and could not disagree, although I failed to understand why, unless there was a trap ahead. "That could be it," I finished.

I was interested in how Kate would play this. Were it me, I would lay a false trail and then stealthily double back and sneak past the mikuya meohr. Because if the Jungleborn wanted the humans to head to the right, then that was the direction that they absolutely should avoid. Even I felt reluctant to take the right path, and the Jungleborn had previously demonstrated a degree of passivity to me.

But at the same time, taking the left path just seemed too risky. What if the Jungleborn had anticipated our decision? What if they were laying in wait for us on the other side?

“We’ll wait for the rest then decide,” Kate said. “But I’ve got a feeling I’ll be showing you the basics of sword work sooner rather than later, and I don’t mean as training.”

A little over ten minutes later, Muleater, Ken, and the civies. Muleater gave the mikuya a grim look, standing strong and in plain sight herself.

The mikuya had yet to budge since we first saw it.

“First the road, now the gorge, but why?" Muleater asked, thinking aloud. "If they could kill us or capture us, why not just do so?”

“Think it’s a bluff?” Ken asked.

Or a double-bluff, but without springing a trap it would be difficult to tell for certain.

Muleater hesitated before speaking again: “The left path leads further south... but what dangers will we find there? Can we survive if we take that route? Neither option looks good...." She pulled out a square piece of quartz that had a yellow vein running through it. She held it flat on her palm and the quartz slowly rotated until it pointed more towards the left than the right. "This is our best chance," she said reluctantly. "If we make it through this unscathed, well, that's something."

“Through the wyrkwik though?” Ken asked, his voice laced with a hint of doubt.

Gregory swallowed audibly. “Are... are we sure? I have obligations in that direction-" he pointed to the right "-which way is that again?"

Kate rolled her head and cricked her neck, her expression daring them to challenge her. Unsheathing one of her swords and tossing it up with a twirl, she caught it and gave a playful slash.

“Should be fun,” she said, though her tone sounded partially forced to my ears.

Muleater put away her quartz, her eyes lingering on mine for a few moments longer before turning to address Kate. “Did you not come across the other Kun?"

I hesitated before shaking my head, offering no other reason as I suspected Muleater could discern falsehoods.

Ken scoffed at my answer while Muleater nodded slowly in understanding. "They would have been useful," she said, her tone pointedly directed at Ken Guardson.

Kate winced under Muleater's scrutiny and licked her lips nervously, shooting me a swift glance before answering. "I thought they were scouting ahead," she said uncertainly.

Ken laughed mockingly and crossed his arms over his chest, looking between us expectantly. "You thought, or were you too busy playing with your newest pet?"

My anger surged and I forced myself not to respond, my knuckles whitening as I balled my hands into fists. Muleater stepped in between us before matters escalated further, her words firm but gentle. "Regardless, prepare yourselves. We can discuss this later. And this will be discussed." Muleater glared at me, while Ken smirked.

We inched forward, eyes scanning every nook and cranny for hints of trouble. The sun crept higher in the sky, casting an orange glow as we moved closer to our destination. Soon, the trees began to thin out, and I could just make out the silhouette of a large moss and vine covered beast ahead.

Muleater paused and motioned for us to huddle together. She pointed towards the bear and whispered, “Anyone have any ranged weapons?" She glanced between the guards who shook their heads, and then lingered on Gregory who shrugged helplessly.

"Artificed weapons are-" he started to make an excuse, but Muleater stopped him with a held up hand.

"You're friends with my niece. That takes a certain amount of-"

"-is now really the time?!" Kate snapped.

Muleater scoffed, then shook her head. "Well, that means we'll have to take it in close-ranged and smart. Flanking tactics?" she asked.

Kate laughed, "Nah, I'll show you how it's done." She winked at me, and then began jogging towards the beast.

"Kate!" Janet called after her. But when Kate failed to cease or slow down, in fact, only speeding up, Janet groaned, "After her!"

She and Ken took off at a sprint to catch up, but whether it was to stop her or confront the beast together, I knew not.

I approached more cautiously, with the civies trailing after me, torn between fear of being left exposed, and fear of approaching the infested meohr.

The beast was impressive, I will give it that. This was the first time I had seen it close under the light of day. Its horns were curved and black, gray and molting vines and tendrils snapped with every one of its twitches, piercing in and out of the flesh, almost animating it in a grotesque mockery of what a meohr should look like. Its eyes shone green in a way that was clearly supernatural. It was not a beast I would want to fight, as it towered over even the humans, nearly three yards tall.

And yet, Kate raced towards it without a care in the world. In fact, I thought I heard her laughing, like some berserk valkyrie.

My heart raced as I watched the beast from afar, unsure of what it could do or how I should proceed. I had Illusions, but I would not be showing that card, not even in the direst of situations. If matters truly deteriorated, then I could always escape.

Except, that would mean... leaving Kate to perish.

Not that she failed to deserve such a fate.

Emotions warred within me, even when they should have been the farthest thing from my mind.

And then there was the stench, the pheromones or whatever it was that the creature released. These scents were not peaceful nor intoxicating, not smelling of burnt cinnamon. No, instead, it stank of resignation and deception; whatever secrets this creature held, I did not want to be party to them.

Kate moved with a speed that belied her size, feet barely touching the ground as she fled forward. Behind her, a cloud of dust and rocks erupted into the air as if a bomb had gone off. With every desperate step she took, images of being devoured alive by the infested meohr flashed in her head. She reached it just in time as the meohr started to bring its heavy hand down with tendrils whipping out from its fingers.

Taking quick aim, Kate lunged forward, thrusting her long bastard sword up through its gaping jaws and halfway up to hilt.

The rank smell of rage and hatred filled my nostrils as I breathed in deeply, feeling an underlying anger radiating from the beast that was more powerful than any fear or pain it should have felt at having such a weapon embedded in its throat. Something was wrong here and I could not help but to question why. Before I could answer that question however, Kate had already begun her next maneuver.

She released her grip on the sword and spun in one smooth motion, her face passive yet determined as her hands flew upward to grab both of her short swords which she had hidden away in their sheaths at her hips. Completing the twirl, she faced the bear once more with two gleaming blades now ready. The creature roared ferociously as it tried to shake out the bastard sword stuck between its jaws and throat.

Kate activated some sort of ancient dance around the raging bear of an infested meohr, slipping aside nimbly each time it swung its head back to snap at her. As if in a trance, she began slashing furiously at its flank, driving her blades deeper than expected until finally its movements slowed and it collapsed onto the ground lifelessly.

Fear seized me as I watched. Mixed emotions warred. I felt horror for both the creature and worried for Kate and hated myself for feeling anything at all. But I felt a strange connection with this creature; yet, I liked Kate and had no idea if the vine covered meohr would be an ally or not. There was no time to think.

"Look out!" I screamed to Kate as the meohr leapt on top of her, blocking my view of her.

Without hesitation, I flew towards them, with Muleater and Ken close behind. The beast remained motionless, seeming to relish in the panic that enveloped us all except itself. Its eyes still twinkled with life, yet it refused to move. What were its motives?

"Kate!" Muleater shouted desperately, running forward, but not as quickly as I passed by her. Gregory continued to shout out her name, his voice shaking with dread. Meanwhile, Ken held his sword at the ready, never letting down his guard as he constantly searched their surroundings for signs of attack.

I reached Kate first and saw past the meohr's huge figure. It didn't take a breath or make any effort to close its wounds; even worse I could feel its amusement at our distress. At that moment I realized just how different these mikuya really were.

Sir Kate lay still, pinned under the immense mass of the creature. A creature which did not breathe nor twitch nor move. Were it not for the scent pervading off of it, I would have been fooled by its act as well. Why it chose to play dead, I could not fathom.

Grunting, Kate said, “I'm fine. I just need a little help, that's all.”

The beast before her seemed to stretch up for miles; its torso the size of a sofa and built with thickly interwoven plant-like material and flesh. It oozed a sickening sap-like blood onto the ground and over Kate’s body, leaving only her neck and head safe from harm.

“How–” Muleater started to ask before catching herself “No, hold on. We'll get you out. Greg, Ken, get ready to pull. Manny, Beast, we'll lift. Grab hold of the flank and get ready to–”

“Wait!” Kate cried out in protest, “It's not that bad–”

Before she could finish Muleater cut in harshly: “Yes it is! Crown only knows how you're not dead already. What were you thinking?!”

“Is now the time?” Ken asked quietly.

“Yes. Now get ready!” Muleater shouted as they all stepped forward at once.

I moved to stand beside her but she shoved me away, forcing me to cross Kate and take up my position opposite the Gregory where he was preparing to drag Kate out once a portion of clearance was afforded. We reached under as far as we could manage while Ken and Muleater grabbed the thickest vines they could find.

Muleater let out an almighty cry: “Lift!”

Ken and Muleater strained with all their might against the weight of the mammoth meohr. A vine snapped like a gunshot, releasing a rancid puff of dust that made me gag and choke. Sickeningly, I noticed that neither Ken nor Muleater were saying much, and their mouths were clamped tightly shut. Had they knowingly let me inhale that toxic dust without warning? Or was this some sick test of loyalty? Although I held no fear for the dust, it smelled foul enough to drive me away from it.

As I pulled on Kate, I noticed a slight give at the same time as the boy.

“Almost there,” Gregory Silverborn said through gritted teeth. With a fierce determination, he and I both pulled at Kate until she slid an inch, then two more.

But something lodged.

The meohr jerked suddenly with each tug on Kate's body. She cried out in agony, “My swords! I can’t get them out!”

“Leave the damn swords behind!” barked the Muleater. “We'll get replacements later.”

Suddenly, we heard a loud growl coming from deep within the beast's throat, causing us to pause momentarily in fear before we began pulling again even harder.

“-From where?” Kate panted, her lungs desperately needing air. The putrid stench had almost choked her moments before and she was loath to waste any breaths on arguing. She stood firm in her convictions.

“Let them go!" Muleater bellowed. "Heave!"

Ken, myself, and Muleater all pushed with every ounce of strength they had. The creature shifted. There was a sickening slurp, a scratching sound, and then Gregory and I were frantically tugging at Sir Kate, drawing her away from where she had been wedged until she had cleared the meohr by at least ten feet.

Notably, the meohr failed to budge other than a pained groan, which I was sure the humans attributed to a death knell. Besides, they had other things upon their mind.

"We were in close proximity. Do you think we may have been infested?" Ken asked warily.

"Crown forbid," Muleater replied solemnly.

Before we went our separate ways, Kate moved towards the meohr’s throat to reclaim her bastard sword. The meohr radiated an eerie sense of watchfulness but no other physical signs of life; yet I could not shake the feeling that it was still alive. My senses tingled in warning and Muleater seemed to pick up on my uneasiness as Kate took another step closer to its open maw.

“What?” she inquired, understanding my sudden concern as one experienced with Kunbeorn typically would. “Kate, wait!”

Kate froze, hardly daring to breathe as she weighed up her chances of getting away from the bear. For a moment, there was peace between them; the meohr seemed content to remain still and silent, no longer bringing with it the terrible smell that had been so overpowering before.

Ken was busy scanning the rocks for any signs of danger, but his face remained grim, "still nothing."

Muleater stepped closer to me, so close that I had to look up at her chin. Her hand rested on the hilt of her blade, a reminder of the power she held over my life, or at least that she thought she did. I was ready to drop an Illusion on her at the first twitch, and I just hoped that I would be fast enough to preserve my life if she turned hostile.

I doubted that it would turn hostile, but still, fear and doubt lingered in my mind as I thought about how easy it was for the humans to resort to lethal levels of violence.

And now, Muleater was turning her attention fully upon me, looming over me and my diminutive form.

“Before, you noticed something amiss before the rest of us,” she said. “Are we at risk? Were there more infested following us?”

We were still near enough to the infested meohr, the still living creature who was feigning death, that the creature could listen in to our conversation. A spike of curiosity wafted off of it with the conversation. Curiosity and warning mixed together. Was this a test, then? While it was true, I did know that more of the mikuya followed us, and that the meohr was still aware, I felt that divulging these secrets now would worsen any future interactions I had with the terrifying parasitic creatures.

But I had to say something. I settled on putting up a weak showing.

“I–I’m not sure,” I said, hoping that would be enough for him to let it go.

“But it was something," Muleater insisted. "No wariness is unfounded with these monsters. What caught your attention? You are worried. Why?” Her voice held a hint of aggression that immediately set the guards on edge. All eyes were suddenly on me, and I felt a sense of unease creep into the air as Gregory stood next to Kate, looking at her expectantly, as though she would turn upon me for holding back secrets of their enemy, as ridiculous as their assumptions would seem, accurate or not.

“I thought I smelled something,” I said, which was the truth—at least part of it.

Gregory scoffed in disbelief and shook his head. He seemed more interested in trying to win Kate's attention rather than seeking out any real solution to our common problems.

The Caravan Master Manny Stillson stepped in before the situation became worse and suggested that we not discard my abilities as a Kaiva nose so hastily, though the guards seemed hesitant to agree. Meanwhile, Kate impulsively took a risk by jumping onto a nearby boulder for a better view.

“If the beasts share lands with the wyrkwik, then how can we really know they aren’t working together?” Ken put forward. "Perhaps Charson was right."

“Don’t be daft," Manny said. "The infested are a blight to all life. Not even the kun would willingly infect themselves.”

I thought I detected a smug satisfaction emanating from the meohr, once again confirming my suspicions of it listening in on our conversations. the fact that the creature understood our language was a concern, or would have been, were I its prey.

“You want to know what I noticed?" I asked Muleater, firming up and meeting her glare, eye to eye. I dropped all pretenses of timidity, as my tremulous behavior failed to have the impact I desired. "Then plainly, I will tell you. I smell them. The mikuya, wyrkwik, infested, what have you. They are watching us, but they are not so close as to attack. Not yet-" I caught myself before I added more to the statement, a potential lie that might be caught, that this was all that I knew.

Muleater nodded, musing to herself.

Kate quickly took the opportunity to ask for her sword. When no one denied her, she hurried over and heaved it from the ground. The meohr still didn't stir but an unwelcome scent replaced the bloodied atmosphere, and Kate ran away with her weapon in hand. We were not able to free her two short swords that were buried deep in the acting-corpse; Muleater deemed it best to move on as soon as possible. Kate was not happy about this decision and voiced her disapproval as we moved away from the purportedly-slain beast.

As we left our weapons behind us, a sense of dread followed us; Kate was the first to pick up on it. “You still smell them?” she asked me.

I took a deep breath through my nostrils and nodded. “The same as before," I said.

“Then they’re trailing us,” she said grimly.

Muleater spoke up then, her voice tense. “The question is why?” she said, turning towards the Caravan Master for answers. He hesitated, wiping away the sweat and grime from his face with an old handkerchief.

“That is a heavy question asked of me, Lieutenant,” Manny Stillson enunciated slowly.

Gregory Silverborn scoffed in disbelief at his words. “He probably doesn’t know,” Gregory said under his breath.

The Caravan Master drew in a heavy breath, his eyes shadowed with dread and loathing. "No, youngling, I in fact do know, unfortunately." Manny spoke as if he were admitting to something that could not be changed. "The Jungle-rot, the infested, the wyrkwik, they are a disease. They spread across the marshes and the forests, corrupting nature and wildlife." The weight of his words hung like a tangible thing in the air.

Gregory rolled his eyes. "We know that much already."

Muleater leaned forward, his voice low and urgent.

"Enough," she halfheartedly reprimanded Gregory, before asking Manny, "What is their typical behavior?"

A flicker of fear crossed the Caravan Master's face before he replied, "Their behavior is cancerous. Tumorous warts. Half dead-no, zombies. Yes, that is their behavior."

"But what does that mean?" Muleater pressed.

"Their infestation is well called the living vegetation," the Caravan Master said somberly. "They spread through trees and plants, their corrupted animals remain hidden as guards, or range to hunt prey to further corrupt." He looked from one person to another, as if gauging their reactions. "At least, that is how they behave to the south. Here, there is not much in the way of plant life to animate."

"Has the Caravaneers Guild experience with them then?" Ken asked.

"In some ways, yes," Manny Stillson admitted. His voice dropped to a whisper as he continued, "When Caravans encounter them in the jungles, there are seldom survivors." He paused for emphasis before adding, "When mercs are contracted to find them, they report wagons still laden with goods, but void of life, with evidence of combat and sometimes remains." His jaw clenched in remembered horror.

Naturally, the wagons are collected and sterilized. But the cost in lives is high. If attacks occur infrequently, we pay for the woodlands surrounding the route to be burnt. Should the corruption have spread too close to the route, the infested often retaliates and the results are dire. Those routes are lost, and new roads must be funded. Only the barriers wrought by fire and vast stretches of burnt and poisoned land keep the corruption from claiming the entire land"

The weight of the Caravan Master's words hung heavy in the air as we all contemplated the dark fate that awaited us if we erred in our escape, or if we crossed the mikuya again.

Truthfully, they sounded terrifying from the caravaneer's perspective.

Just thinking of a parasite invading my brain, leaving me agentless, without control of my own body... I felt a shiver cross my back, like the prickling heat of an early summer morning. It was not a cold sweat, but an excited one that started at the base of my neck and ended in my fingertips. I tried shaking the feeling with a question.

“They require verdant lands?” I asked, adopting some of the mannerisms of the Caravan Master.

Sir Kate nodded along to my question, and flashed me a small smile. It may have held hints of condensation, as though a pet just performed a remarkable trick. Gregory Silverborn frowned.

“That they do,” the Caravan Master answered.

“Then what in the fallen gods’ forgotten names are they doing here?!” Ken demanded.

The Caravan Master shook his head slowly. “This is beyond their habitat. I cannot say. But I hope they have not set their sights north of the divide.”

"It seems that these monsters have a worse reputation to the south than the ones that ambushed us. Otherwise, if they are so fearsome, thow did we escape?" Gregory challenged with irreverence.

“Watch your tone, boy.” Ken said. “We barely escaped, and that lease was bought with the blood of good men and women."

"But the creatures could have kept attacking," Kate said, "Remember, they pulled back at the end. Do they normally retreat when they're winning?"

I felt goosebumps rise on my arms when she said it. Why indeed.

“It is most unusual,” Manny insisted, "though at the time, I attributed it to Alchemist Charson's efforts. Who knows what concoctions or alchemics he could have unleashed."

“Mm.” Muleater turned around to address him, her hand rested on the pommel of her sword as she scanned behind them for any signs of additional attackers.

Ken spat out a dismissive word and folded his arms over his chest. Glancing back towards the surrounding boulders and cliffs, he asked tersely, “So you think there is an explanation? Or should we get moving?”

"Walk and talk," I offered him, as he did have a good point. Once we began moving, I further asked Kate, “What more can you tell me of your escape from the ill-fated ambush?”

“Hey yeah, it was weird,” Kate said. “But I think we should instead be looking at why they're up here at all.”

“And blockading the highway,” Muleater said grimly. "How many other caravans have they attacked?"

“But are they blockading?” the Caravan Master asked. “We have not observed trade interruptions, and the highway is the only arterial for trade inland from Southbridge to Bath.”

"You know, there was something odd that I noticed before the ambush," I said, deciding to fish for more details by offering tantalizing bait. “There was a crate that smelled of the mik- I mean, the wyrkwik- that I noticed.”

"What?!" Muleater demanded, at the same time that Ken swore, and Manny winced.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Kate asked, looking somewhat hurt. As though she were entitled to everything that I knew. Ridiculous girl. With strong calloused fingers-

"I was unsure how you would take it, and I wasn't certain." I shrugged.

"Whose crate was it?" Muleater demanded.

Manny's wince evolved to a grimace.

"Maybe the alchemist's? I saw him checking on it-"

"-when?" Ken demanded. "How could you see anything from the cage wagon?"

I coughed, wincing at the reminder of the dehumanizing time. But I answered, albeit weakly, "During a period where I was allowed to walk, I caught its scent. It was with Joel and you, at the time."

"Huh. It was that crate, huh?" Ken said, looking faraway. "I hardly remember it. But it was Charson's alright."

"Care to add anything?" Muleater asked Manny Stillson, but Manny shook his head.

"What each merchant ships is their own business. It is the job of the highguard to prevent smuggling, as you are well aware."

"Playing that way, huh?" Kate scoffed, sneering really. Gregory also looked upset with the Caravan Master's weak excuse.

"When we return to civilization," Muleater said, "Then there will be questions. And you will answer them."

"You have no-"

"-My people were slaughtered, our lives were endangered, and our nation has been invaded by a hostile organism!" Muleater snapped, cutting off Manny. "This goes far enough that the inquisitors might get involved. I can't wait for you to give them that same line."

Manny swallowed, his throat bobbing, but he weakly shook his head and said nothing further.

We continued traveling, conversation died away after that, except for the soft sounds of night and our footsteps on gravel and dried lichen. Kate kept close to me, always a step or two behind Gregory's stride. When she caught my gaze, I gave her a hard stare. She pulled back for a moment then scurried ahead to catch up to Gregory again. The wind picked up around us as we made our way deeper into the gorge and only started to calm once night came. We camped in a hidden recess where the walls of the gorge folded in on itself. My small frame was used more as a stuffed animal than anything else while Kate hugged herself against the chill of night.

That night, while I was keeping watch away from Muleater's side of the gorge, and we were both keeping watch at the same time, as the humans failed to trust me, I heard a voice calling out to me.

“Kitten.”

That had been Kissen's nickname for me when we were together, yet it wasn't her voice that called; it was masculine, with a touch of growl, Larissen. Was he here because Kissen sent him or something happened to her? As much as I wanted to believe she sent him, I doubted that we would willingly approach me if he had any choice in the matter.

I sought him out and saw his faint outline against the cliff face, away from the humans.

He beckoned for me to follow him, but from too far away for me to catch up, let alone the humans on watch with me.

Muleater either failed to hear him or pretended not to as part of some plan of hers. With all that I knew about her, either could be true.

If she was feigning ignorance, I couldn't help but wonder if it was her way of testing me or prey upon the Kaiva siblings after they had abandoned us. Had she really failed to hear his voice? If so, I shuddered at the thought of how easy it would be for someone to slip past her unnoticed.

I had to think fast and act in a way that kept my choices open. Taking a deep breath, I mouthed one word: "Why?"

As he said nothing in response, I felt my heart sink. No matter how much I tried to force my words out louder, there was no answer from him. After what felt like an eternity, he finally moved his body ever so slightly—in a manner that showed his agitation with the task of finding me amidst the humans. I couldn't help but worry that something had happened to Kissen or that he somehow blamed me for the situation we were in.

“Kissen,” he whispered, pausing, weighing the options. “Kitten’s help is needed.” His voice wavered almost as if he knew the request was a burden.

But I failed to make that decision easily; leaving now would sacrifice all of the hard work I had put in to build up trust with these humans. To go to Kissen's aid meant joining a weaker group, especially if she had been hurt. But Kissen… she had been welcoming, the first real and positive contact I had since arriving in this mothersworn world. I needed to at least learn more before making a decision.

“What happened?” I asked, moving carefully so Muleater remained (hopefully) oblivious.

“This one will lead to my sister and my sister will be saved,” Larissen said, offering little in terms of an explanation. But he was still beckoning me to follow, leaving little room for discussion. Was this a trap? What would be the purpose of doing so? Were they planning to separate me from the humans before striking? So many thoughts raced through my head, that my heart quickened; I felt torn between two choices. Should I stay where it was safe or take a leap of faith into an uncertain world?

Larissen was already leaving, looking over his shoulder with expectation. “For my sister,” he said in a hushed voice, yet still laden with emotion, with desperation.

This was no ploy. He was no actor. Kissen really was in dire straits if Larissen had returned to the humans he hated so.

But did that mean that following him off to who knows where was the correct call? Surely there were better ways to go about this. Should I follow him now, or wait until morning when we would reach the humans? The terrain was broken and uneven; it would be difficult for us to travel through it in such darkness.

Larissen had jumped up on a rock some distance away from us and was facing me with an unreadable expression. From that far away, I failed to discern any details of his face in the night.

He waited impatiently as if expecting me to follow him immediately, but my mind frantically turned over these thoughts, considering all possible outcomes.

Tactically speaking, I knew that ignoring Larissen altogether was my best option–despite feeling guilty over what may have happened to Kissen–as I had no idea of her current situation or if I could even help her at all. On one hand, I felt obligated to Kissen for her efforts even though they had been unsuccessful.

But could I justify leaving the humans alone in such darkness? Yes, they deserved no mercy nor devotion. But could I justify risking my position with the humans who carried rations and supplies and offered a method of passage through human settlements?

I paused, still conflicted.

I wanted to help Kissen and knew that I could do so if I left the camp. But, I was scared of what would happen if I did leave. Larissen had seen me and my gesture but Muleater had yet to notice anything out of place.

I crept back into the camp, careful not to alert anyone else.

Larissen hissed, anger and desperation as I turned my back. But I was just checking on the humans, on Muleater, on the supplies.

I tried waving him down and gesturing for him to wait. If I was to accompany him, I had one more task before I could leave.

To ensure the best outcome, I needed someone sympathetic to my cause when my absence was noticed. So, I nudged Kate awake, anxious for her reaction.

“Whau–my turrr?” she asked groggily, wiping sleep from her eyes.

I shushed her before she could draw even more attention. I needed to explain. But how could I explain to her with gestures that I was leaving and why? Surely speaking aloud would alert Muleater and remove the choice from me altogether. Although perhaps that would be ideal. But no, Kissen needed help, and I would not abandon her in her time of need. Especially when I could gain another favor. But only if I could keep the humans content.

Could I keep the humans content? Maybe Kate, I thought, I hoped.

The confusion on Kate’s face was clear as she shook her head in response to my pantomime. I tried again, repeating the motions and nodding my head, but still she refused to understand.

Frustrated, I clenched my fists and threw them towards the sky, looking for something that would show her what I wanted. As I showed her the motions for a third time, something in her seemed to click–though now it seemed like she had only gained understanding so that she could decide if she truly disliked the plan or not.

I could think of no other way to keep her from alerting those around us before I left, so I put my faith in her that she would keep silent vigil in my place.

I was about to leave, when her hand shot out and grasped my wrist. I could clearly see the fear in Kate’s eyes. She wanted me to take her with me–a foolish idea considering she would be noisy, poorly trusted by the Kaiva, and would prompt Muleater to follow us with all haste once her absence was discovered.

No, the best place for Kate was here in camp, covering for my absence.

Yet, she desperately clung to my arm. She was not letting go. I needed to give her something to guarantee my return, as nonsensical as it seemed.

But I had an idea. I carefully removed my leather jacket, the only thing of true value I owned, and placed it gently around her shoulders. She hesitated for a moment before finally nodding in acknowledgement; she knew my gesture meant more than just a piece of clothing.

My heart heavy, I made my way back outside to find Larissen waiting impatiently. We couldn't speak too loudly being so close to camp, but his urgent whisper broke the silence, "What took you so long? Time is of the essence if Kissen is to be saved!"

Blessings: Rank (1/9)

Body: 61 (+2)

Mind: 72 (+1)

Spirit: 47

Talents:

Athleticism (3/9):

Climbing I (1/9)

Featherlight (1/9)

Stealth (8/9)

Trackless Tracks (5/9)

Eschiver (1/9)

Evasion (3/9)

Spells:

Illusion I (2/9)

Touch (5/9)

Closed

Closed

Gifts:

Obsession (3/9)

Closed (0/9)

Closed (0/9)