“Hrolf! Hrolf! Strangers…inn,” a voice interrupted from down the road. A man was running towards them, stopping only next to his father. The man was wheezing as he took labored breaths. He had a light brown set of unkempt hair that matched the dirty browns almost every carpenter wore. Kaius vaguely remembered him from the times he had shown up with his father to one of the larger gatherings of loggers, carpenters, and city planners.

“Strangers?” Kaius asked.

“Strangers in Yalenhide doesn’t bode well, son. It never does. What is it, Bajin?”

He looked back at his father, his once bright face no longer showed jubilation and joy. Instead, it was darkened with lines of worry and a hint of fear. Having rested enough with his hands on his knees and sucking massive bouts of air time after time, Bajin rose back up. Extending his hand with a big smile, the man’s intention was clear. Rumors and facts for coin, it was how he made much of his money. Father flicked him five copper coins. The man grumbled and complained, but he wouldn’t budge—five copper coins were all he was going to get.

“Strangers. Armed to the teeth. Had so many sharps on them you’d think they’re goin to war sometime soon. That’s what I think if you’d ask me. No one ever does though,”

He left with a bounce in his step, richer than he had arrived. With the occasional laugh, he kept on his way, having wholly forgotten them and onto his next unknown quarry. Once he was too far to hear, father looked at him.

“Push the tree off, do it in a hurry. We need to be gone before yesterday.” In a hurry, father jumped off the wagon and ran towards the horses.

“Push the tree?” Kaius knew he could, but his father did not, so he acted his role. “It’s far too large father. It would take a stronger person,”

“Kaius,” exasperation in his voice, jarring Kaius at the sudden edge of it. “We don’t have time for this. Use your power and get the thing off the wagon while I keep the horses calm.”

Standing next to the horses he was petting them, rubbing their necks, and whispering to them. He looked back up, staring at him with a raised bushy, red eyebrow. He stood up gingerly, pulling from his well of power. He had yet to learn full control and ease the rushing river that raged through him, but that was enough for the task ahead. Standing in front of the giant wooden monstrosity, Kaius pushed with as much strength as he could. Slowly the tree began to slide off, picking up enough speed for it to fall with a deafening crash.

The horses panicked—as father said they would—rising on their back legs crying in distress. Father held their reins down calling out to them by name. It took a while, but they finally calmed down, nuzzling themselves against him. Father had a way with animals Kaius never had, it was amazing to see how quickly he could get an enraged bull to cool down.

“Hurry, boy! Stop dawdling, we need to be gone! Help me free the horses, they are faster than us on open land,” Father said to him. He was already untying Bronny.

Jumping off the wagon, he hurried to get Jasper ready—fumbling more than he cared to explain to his father. But he eventually had it done, though his father had already sat on his horse without a saddle.

“Are we really riding the horses without a saddle? And what is going on? Why did we thro-” Kaius tried to ask but was interrupted by his father’s burning eyes.

“You’re being stubborn and hard-headed. Do exactly as you’re told, or you won’t be alive tomorrow morning. Now get on the horse!” Matching his irritation, Bronny stomped and huffed and shook his head.

Kaius was left dazed for a few seconds but was jolted awake by Jasper rubbing against him. Getting on with little use of his powers—their horses were too large to ride without a saddle or his power—he rode in silence with his father. They kept a blazing pace to cover distance quickly.

Once they reached the path towards the village proper, Father led them off the road and around the farthest houses, wary and watching before going. They kept this speed until they reached their own home. It was placed at an unusual area in the village, almost hidden from casual sight. It was tucked neatly in between two stores with a path that had sharp cuts to get out and away.

Father jumped off his horse and hurried inside yelling mother’s name. Whatever was going on had changed everything, Kaius could feel it in his bones. Just as he was trying to gingerly get off his horse—his backside and softer areas felt horrifically sore—both his parents ran out of the house with large leather packs in their hands held by a thick and sturdy rope. Mother—who had golden hair and deep blue eyes—gave him his own. She was wearing a blue and white dress that felt oddly familiar, but he couldn’t place.

“Hrolf! Get the other saddle!” mother said, putting the first one on Bronny.

“Mother?” he asked, still seated on Jasper.

“Yes, my sweet golden flower,” that was his nickname, something she had always called him. Why? She would never tell him, always changing the subject whenever he asked.

“What’s going on? Who are those men Bajin spoke about? Why are we packed and ready to leave?”

“Soon, my flower,” Mother said as she placed a firm hand on his, reassuringly. “I-I’ll tell you everything soon, you’re old enough to know now.”

With those cryptic words, she ran back inside, yelling at father for taking too long. This time they came out with weapons, surprising him. Since when had they had weapons? Mother had a beautiful spear much taller than she was. The shaft was a white wood covered in designs of a golden flower—Kaius could only imagine how gorgeous the actual blade looked. Though the blade was covered in black cloth.

Father, on the other hand, carried an axe and shield. The axe didn’t look as long as his forearm but reflected off the sun with a silvery metal. The shield, on the other hand, was not remarkable in any way or form, just a large triangle curved inwards.

“Come off the horse,” father called as he brought the saddle towards them.

Kaius carefully got off, his backside aching him. He wanted to ask so many questions, but he held off. Mother had promised him, and he was confident he would learn everything he needed to soon.

Father put the saddle on with a practiced hand, taking him merely moments until the horse was ready to go. He gestured towards the horse, signaling Kaius to get on. This time Kaius didn’t need his power to boost himself up. Grabbing the edge of the saddle, he got up by stepping and hoisting himself up. The saddle felt like a blessing compared to the back of Jasper.

“Let's go,” Mother called.

Following them—parents chose to ride together—they made their way out of the little labyrinth and around the backs of the houses of the village. The village inn, The Hamlet, was built on the other far end of the settlement. It's given them time to make it out undetected. Their horses sped towards the path he and his father had just come from with a fast pace, though not as fast as when they had come the other way. They passed the split road, then the large tree they had left on the side of the road. And finally past where they usually logged. By then, the sun was falling, and the sunset was close to arriving.

The trees were sparse for a few miles down the road until the path itself came to an abrupt halt. Past it, the trees were close together—untouched by man, left to the darkness of the unknown—the ground littered with roots, bushes, and branches that had fallen down. His parents got off their horse—father first to hold his hand out for mother to put her weight on. They surveyed the dark path forward and the sky above. A bad storm was coming through, dark and broodingِ

Kaius followed. “Why are we leaving Bronny and Jasper here? The wolves will feast on them.” he held tightly to Jaspers reigns trying to pull her along. The horse had been with him since childhood, growing with him as a calf.

“They know where to go. Come, were heading into the forest, we need to create as much distance as fast as we can,” father responded while his mother busied herself with unloading the packs from Bronny. The horse held still for the process to go smoothly.

“And where to? I am not going to leave Jasper to die, Father,” Kaius was adamant, in no condition was he going to leave Jasper to be eaten by wolves then left to rot on the forest ground.

“Flower? Do you trust me?” Mother said suddenly. She had finished unpacking father’s and her stuff and walked over to get his.

“Mother,” Kaius grumbled, how was he supposed to respond to that? No? That would be an utter lie, he knew that himself. He trusted his mother with his life. “You know I do, but-”

“She’ll be fine. She knows the way to the next village. Believe in me,”

Resigning to his fate, he let go of Jasper’s reigns and let his father send them off galloping into the distance.

“Why couldn’t we take them with us into the forest?” he said as their two figures slowly disappeared into the distance and over the hill, they had come down.

“Past this, the forest is too uneven and filled with roots and branches. They would find themselves with broken ankles and damaged hooves in no time,” father said. He placed a hand on Kaius’s shoulder, a firm grip to hold together his emotions. “Let’s go, we’ve wasted enough time here.” He patted him once and was on his way into the forest after Mother.

Kaius followed, his mind creating scenes of horror as he stared into the gaping maw his parents had just walked through. It was dark in there, even darker as the sun began to set. And in that black world, a plethora of beasts and monsters undiscovered could exist. All waiting for him to step through. Releasing his breath—unconsciously holding it as he neared the entrance—he set himself on this path, determined to continue. Hoping that his family and himself would find the other side as quickly and safely as possible.