The Remnants

When they finally made it back to their expanse in the forest, despite knowing better, Eil collapsed to the ground in a heap, and he did not want to get back up. The hard dirt felt as comfortable as anything else he’d ever slept on. He struggled to look up and saw Sami waiting patiently at the base of her tree, unmoved from where they had left her. To a tree next to her, Eil saw Silent, calmly staring back at him.

“I thought you were dead,” he managed.

“Turns out she was hiding,” Sami said. “She swam across the river and waited there. She says her dad wasn’t much of a swimmer. I take it that’s supposed to mean something.”

He would’ve laughed in better circumstances.

“Looks like you guys found what you lost,” Sami nodded to Bite-Sized. She was still unconscious. “And lost everything else?”

“More or less,” Cautious said. “So, what exactly happens if the bandits come running here? Do you watch them kill us?”

“Whoever tries to lay a hand on me will die. Otherwise, I'm not at liberty to help you.” Her voice was deliberately devoid of emotion, a determination to not succumb to her own humanity.

“Then I guess we don’t have time to waste. Everyone else is dead, and if anyone was hiding like she was, then they missed their chance.”

Sami looked at the four remaining students. She shrugged. “Less mouths to feed.”

Cautious volunteered to carry Bite-Sized. Eil wasn’t in any position to do it, and neither of them desired asking Silent. Sami refused to step outside her orders a second time. She was a guide and nothing more, she insisted.

As for the bandits, the shock of seeing their giant dead must’ve staved off any pursuit because they did not see any of them again. They only stopped when they were sure the bandits really hadn’t bothered following them. He realized how obvious it was they wouldn’t pursue. They still had all the food. There were a mere four left. They had nothing to gain but vengeance, and these bandits were more concerned with living another day than retribution.

As they walked throughout the night, Eil had dozed off mid-steps countless times, and he was grateful for a moment of rest when they settled down to build Bite-Sized a pram to ease the journey. Silent finally decided to help when it came to that effort.

They journeyed again when the sun rose. He couldn’t tell if Silent, Sami, or Cautious were as tired as he was. He’d been this tired twice before, when he’d been stabbed in the shoulder, and when he’d questioned Kilo too harshly. He realized how badly he had underestimated the giant’s strength. When they stopped again with the sun in the sky, Silent volunteered to cook what Sami’s owl caught so long as they could share it. Sami conceded, possibly by virtue of having gotten the chance to hear Silent speak again. Eil opted to sleep during that time, though his physical state didn’t leave him in the best mental state to make that decision.

When Eil woke once more, Sami sat against a tree, Silent was cooking a makeshift broth, Cautious was nowhere to be found, and Bite-Sized was huddled against another tree. She looked terrified. Silent cast a measured glance his way when she realized he was awake. She handed him a rudimentary bowl with the broth inside, and he eagerly drank it down. It tasted awful, but he told himself that it was the best he could get, and that it was probably supposed to taste awful anyways.

Cautious arrived a half hour later. His eyes widened when he saw Bite-Sized awake, and they turned to Eil. Eil frowned and looked at Bite-Sized who could not get his eyes off Cautious.

“Did I miss something?” Eil asked.

Not many words had been exchanged since they ran away. Eil hadn’t been given time to be angry about how it all went, or sad, if that was an option. He didn’t get along with Halia, but he thought they could have been friends given time. Heck, he thought taking out the giant was the moment he’d win them all over. He’d become their hero, and they would forget everything he and his uncle had ever done.

“Hungry?” Silent asked.

Cautious offered a rare smile. “Of course. Haven’t had anything decent to eat in days.”

He dropped a pile of kindling next to their small fire, and Silent handed him his own broth of soup. Bite-Sized wouldn’t get his eyes off him, and Cautious gingerly kept his eyes on her.

“We’re lucky you guys didn’t wait around to attack those bandits,” Sami said.

“Lucky?” Eil asked.

“Well, assuming it would have gone the same way, we’d have lost a day or two, and we couldn’t do what we’re doing now. Taking a break. Eating a good, warm meal. And without any of that, I wager one, or both of you, would die.”

“Sorry,” Cautious said, lowering his bowl. “You’ve lost me, animist.”

“It was difficult but while you were gone, and Eil here was asleep, Bite-Sized woke up and told us a story.”

Cautious held his soup tighter. “What kind of story?”

“She told us about how you killed Halia, and nearly killed her. I imagine you wanted to kill Eil at some point too, but you were afraid you’d fail. Is that right?”

Eil dropped his bowl. He didn’t do it out of anger, he just didn’t feel quite so strong enough to hold it. Cautious’s head snapped his way. But Eil’s mind felt too foggy to meet those eyes. Cautious seemed to recognize Eil’s weakness and turn back to Sami.

“You’re not supposed to get involved,” he said, iron in his voice.

“Silent here doesn’t like to talk, and Bite-Sized can’t quite talk. I’m just relaying the tale of your good fortune; there’s nothing in the rules about that. Now, let me finish. Silent doesn’t care much for murder, I’ve discovered, and she doesn’t care much to get involved with any of you, but she’s quite handy. She would cook for her dad sometimes, a little something to keep him harmless, at ease, content. She was kind enough to share some of that with the both of you.”

Cautious sighed heavily and put the soup down. He hadn’t taken a sip since Sami started talking, but it was too late. He’d had enough beforehand.

“What now?” Cautious asked. “I could still kill him before it hits me.”

“You could, but you won’t. You’ll wait till it’s guaranteed. You’ll wait till there’s no risk to it.” She stood up and stretched. “We’re going to be pushing it a bit from now on, but we have a very safe and calm journey towards the institution. Once we arrive, I assure you, they’ll give you plenty of opportunities to kill each other off.”

Cautious shook his head but did not seem particularly angry. He got to live, and that’s all that mattered.

“Why’d you kill her?” Eil asked.

“I don’t know. I didn’t always intend on doing it, but I had the opportunity, and I figured you were done for. I’d get revenge for my village, well, some of it. As for Bite-Sized, she was dead weight. Just me and Sami, that’d be an easy journey.”

“I’ve never wanted to kill anyone before, you know.”

“Funny. The first people I ever wanted to kill was you, your sister, and your caretaker.”

Sami cleared her throat. “I’m happy you two are finding more commonality, but now that you’ll be slowing us down, we should avoid wasting more time. Let’s go.”