City Rats

The sound of endless snoring filled the small shack, rattling the walls. Matt rested himself on the lower of a double bunk bed. The small room crammed a dozen men into a space only a few paces across at both sides, built from the same clay as Dvell’s hut had been.

Grunting and groaning, swearing and snoring, without even the vaguest illusions of silence, Matt forced his weary eyes closed. Lilith was still nearby enough that he could feel her presence in his mind, a pressure upon his fading consciousness that had become comfortable over the passing days.

Seeking escape from the lively sounds he’d been drowning in, he fell into his own mind. Retreating from consciousness and slipping into that familiar place between dreams and reality.

Resting upon the ocean waves that filled his mind, he gradually slipped beneath the surface. Finding another world beneath the surface of those tumultuous waves.

Her ragged and torn, red dress drifting in the wind, tugged at her, as she held it in place. The same breeze brought to her the scent of blooming flowers as she gazed across the endless colours that filled the royal gardens.

Flowers of all sorts spread out before her, gathered from all across the world and cared for by specialists taken from those same faraway lands. Theresa walked among them, sneering in disgust as her eyes scanned over the familiar garden.

Too many graceful flowers lined up one beside another, each competing to steal the attention of her eyes. The war ending with each standing insignificantly next to the other, their grace lost, their colours dulled.

It was with those same eyes, that she looked past the colours, seeking the shadows that were hidden behind. In the darkest corner of the tame gardens she found what she had sought, the exit to this grotesque place, where beauty was to be cultivated.

Approaching the darkened escape, she was able to see the thorns that covered each stem of every flower. The threats hidden behind the veils of colour, the walls and guards to the cage where she’d been confined.

Kneeling close to the ground she looked about her, searching for any unwanted eyes peering her way. With relieved sigh she discovered herself alone, unseen, free if for but a moment.

Making that moment last, she quickly lowered herself to the ground, carefully prying apart the thorned branches that acted both to disguise her escape and to bloody her should she act without caution.

Crawling on leg and limb she covered herself in the filth of the soil, her red dress soon stained in brown. Every movement was slow and careful, if she even scratched herself with one of those large thorns, others might discover her secret. She might lose her one freedom, she might lose those most important to her.

Threatening thorns tormented her from above as filth covered hands drew her closer to her goal. Each centimetre carefully drawn out with the utmost of caution, for even the most slight of cuts would incite questions that she could not answer.

Ahead, the thorns and stems separated, forming a cavity of sorts where nature met forged metal. The iron bars that had until now been disguised by colour and thorns, now clear to her eyes.

Yet this cavity was not all that made this place special, for where the bars of iron should have stood tall, they wavered. An opening barely large enough for a small child to squeeze their way through.

Likely forged by foreign hands with harmful intent towards the castle, yet it equally formed the perfect escape from her perfect cage. Hands covered in filth snatched at the browned iron and pulled her body forth.

With head before body, she gazed over the deserted alleyway, cautious for undesired attention. As was usual, there sat no homeless nor criminal in this dark street, too well patrolled by the guards who Theresa now vigilantly spied.

The distant slap of a boot, ignited the panic in her youthful chest inspiring a quick retreat into the thorns. Heart beating loudly in her ears, she watched with paused breath as a pair of guard, attired in proper and prim royal colours, marched by her shaded form.

Thankfully their eyes were focused upon the ground before them, without the least consideration that there might be a person trying to leave the castle rather than enter.

As their colours faded into the browns and filth of the city, Theresa launched herself out and into the street, escaping her flowered cage. The ground rushed to meet with her, as she fell the small distance between, a small squelch sounding as her bare feet sank into common filth.

Pausing only for a single breath, she quickly ran as fast as her footing would allow into the dark passages of this growingly familiar town. The sun had already risen to where breakfast might be expected, to those who arose at a more convenient hour.

Hesitation filled her as she considered that her compatriots might already have moved on. Such emotion only fuelled her shoeless sprint, eyes blind to the confused gazes pointed her direction.

As exhaustion finally wracked her body, and pain settled within her lungs, into view came the expected location; with familiar figures gathered round. A smile rose on lips too busy with breath to eek even kind greetings to those she considered closer than family.

“Lilith, are you fine? Why are you running so madly this early in the morn?” The voice that of a young man, or perhaps an old boy depending upon where one stands. His name she knew as only Nik, as children of the streets needed no name for a family that had abandoned them.

“I’m fine. It’s just that it has been so long, I was excited to see you all again.” She replied between deep breathes as her body, unfamiliar to exercise, attempted to keep up with her demands.

“Just don’t attract any attention our way, okay. You looked as if you’d taken to pocket the queen’s own jewels, the way you were running. If guards had seen you, I doubt you would have escaped whole.” He brushed his dark brown hair aside to look her clearly in the eyes, revealing his seriousness.

“Sorry.” She apologised, “I… didn’t think about it.” Her voice though hushed retained the joy of their meeting. Uncowed by his tone, yet still aware of her error.

“How long has if been since the last time? I was worried that you weren’t coming back to us.” Dvell called to her, his voice low.

“I wasn’t able to escape.” She looked down, she had yet to tell them the truth of her origin, yet never did they express desire to uncover her secret. For which she was grateful. “I’m back now though, so has there been any changes to the plan?”

“No,” Nik smiled without heart as he gazed into the passing crowds of the adjoining marketplace.

“Where’s Luna?” Lilith asked, attempting to follow his eyes as the wreathing crowd continued their morning rituals.

“She’s getting breakfast.” Dvell replied, pointing her out from the crowd.

“Don’t point, idiot!” Nik cried out in a whisper. “You’ll get her caught!”

Dvell apologised with subdued voice, but Lilith was too focused to hear his words. Her eyes following the motions of a young girl as she navigated the organism known as the market.

The girl was younger than herself, by what years neither knew, as Luna had long since lost sight of her birth. Her short height, and proper yet tame clothes made her blend all too well into the flow of people.

Lilith knew how precious she had to be to keep such a dress in reasonable condition while living without a roof. Yet for all the work that was used to maintain her current appearance the payoff was far greater for these children without a home.

With the greatest of ease, she plucked wares from underneath the merchants eyes. Lilith often mused that the merchants might see nothing but her hand appearing from the walls of flesh that mounted their stalls.

She was without doubt a genius in her craft. At times when the crowd was thinned, she wouldn’t hesitate to stand by foreigners or even stray locals, acting as if a pair with them. Such that when she left, had the merchant noticed her at all, they would demand payment from the bystander that she’d been shadowing. Expecting all, too well, that she’d been their child or dependant in some way.

Even for all her skill, too often she was seen, and at first suspicions had arisen about her, yet by stroke of luck her infamy soon become her very protector. The merchants had considered her acts too perfect for human hands and had designed a tale far more fanciful to explain her.

The ghost of the markets. A rumour with such veracity, that some swore that she’d been here for decades if not longer, with the stories of her origin so varied that some even posited that she’d been here before even the markets themselves.

Ever since, the locals who caught sight of her in passing would, instead of calling for guards or chasing justice, merely pale in complexion before turning away in respect.

“It should be me out there this morn. We ask far too much of her.” Nik mumbled under his breath as he watched her work with a stance that denied the stress that was apparent in his voice.

“You think you could do better than the ghost herself?” Lilith asked, watching as more plunder was added to the basket. She intentionally turned away, not waiting for her gaze to be followed by unwanted eyes.

He mumbled to himself in reply, turning to face Lilith and closing his eyes.

Luna did not take long to finish with her raid, basket swinging lightly in her arms as she calmly walked toward them. She smiled as Lilith’s eyes caught her own, rushing forwards with cheerful step.

“Lil, You’re back.” She said coldly, as if, with no great concern.

Lilith, was the name she’d taken to these few who shared her trust. A mask she wore out of necessity at first, but soon gained life as her true self, as Lilith slowly died in her flowering cage.

“I’m back.” She replied, walking alongside the young girl as they hurried to their corner of these streets. They hurriedly ate the evidence of the ghost’s crimes, as they passed envious glances from the hungry and homeless.

Nik’s strong reputation on these streets, the one protection they had from the men who would steal their stolen breakfasts from their very mouths.

Nik quickly led their small group to the corner that he’d declared theirs. It was a special place in the streets where shade was offered from sunlight, and rain in the more tempestuous seasons.

“What are we doing today?” Dvell asked as he stuffed the last of the bread into his mouth. “How goes our plan?” He asked quietly, as he leaned towards Nik.

“Today we have a quest!” Nik cried out with excitable voice, “If we do well today, it shouldn’t be long before we make it to Norelle.”

Norelle, being a nearby port city, which her mother had yet to seize for her kingdom. The city was well known among residents as it was where the majority of foreigners came from, the few which had good reason to come here.

Lilith had learnt from her mother that the city had countless alliances with nations from all around, she hadn’t dared to assault such a position as they would immediately be crushed by the forces that protected Norelle. It had been rumoured that its independence was secured by angel and demon alike.

Regardless of these rumours, that city was well known for it’s opportunities. Even beggars lived as kings in Norelle, if rumour was to be believed.

Reaching this city was not so simple a problem as can be solved by a pair of feet. Only some brave few tried to follow the deathly path that led to the city. This small stretch of land surrounding the city was home to some sort evil so great that no man that entered had ever reached the other side.

The only passage to the city that ensured survival, came from the boats and ships which asked a fortune for their risk. Such money was impossible for some such as them to ever lay hands upon in any short time. Conversely, hoarding coins left them targeted by the city’s other desperate inhabitants, who would do whatever they must to lay hands upon an evening meal.

As such, a plan was made, to steal, scrounge or earn whatever money they could, and find some way to pay for their passage.

“What sort of quest?” Dvell asked their leader.

“The kind where we earn more in one day, than we’ve had in the last year.” He cleared his throat before speaking once more, “The sort where we pluck flowers from the forest, and earn 5 plat per flower and 2 per bud.”

“The forest?” Dvell asked disbelievingly, “Do you forget? We are rats not warriors, if we go there we have no chance to come back.”

“Sounds fun,” Luna replied. As usual, it was difficult to tell if she was sarcastic or not, with her deadpan voice.

“The pay is too good to turn down.” Nik called out, so that all their group could hear. “I heard advice on how to deal with the monsters that dwell, so long as we walk with care we needn’t fear them. Aside that, the forest is not so dangerous as it’s been said, the creatures are a far cry from the demons that you’ll find elsewhere. The rumours are more lie than truth.”

“Sure,” Dvell replied, his voice dry as he followed obediently, “Though, I suppose I would rather die there than here, let the demons stray from my body and earn the revenge against the guard here.” His dark laughter was dreadful, but no different to any other day.

“So,” He continued, “Just who was it that has tricked you into leading us to damnation.”

“Some foreigner in dark coat,” Nik replied, “I thought it wise not to question his motivations when he sought us younger rats for this task. He payed some plats before, in case we need supplies, so he said.”

“Sounds trustworthy…” retorted Lilith.

“Trustworthy or not, we’ll get payment for this job. After hearing his demands, I asked about these flowers that he was after, and he is not the only man here seeking them. They were said to influence the mind of a grown adult, and are difficult to come by, so if he is not going to pay for what we find, then I will find another that will.”

“If they’re worth so much. Why aren’t there others doing the same?” Luna asked.

“The rumours of monsters filling the forest has kept people away. And as I had said, these flowers affect the minds of adults, only those like us or younger can even seek them out. I had heard that some others had already taken this task and earnt their passage just as we plan to do.”

“So then, how do we plan on going about this task?” Dvell asked cautiously.

“I’ve already bought some good quality jars to hold these plants. I’d been told by the man who hired us, that if we do not keep them seeled than they might drive the men and women of the city mad before we even deliver them for payment.”

With some passion, he lifted the clear jars up high showing off their unmarked appearance, and metallic cap.

“And what of the monsters, how do we deal with them?” Lilith asked, turning to their leader.

“For them I need to borrow a bow, just in case things go wrong.” Nik replied all too lightly.

“Borrow? Where from?” Dvell asked, incredulous.

As a reply Nik stood and waved for them to follow. His light steps guiding them through the darkened alleys that formed the walls to their home.

The homeless in the street, averted their eyes, holding far too high a respect for Nik. The boy who no one dared to touch. It had been like this for longer than Lilith had known them. She hadn’t the chance to hear what rumours she’d seen hints of, in the whispers of those passed by.

For whatever reason that they did so. That respect saved them from countless harassments of the homeless and criminal. Stranger still, Nik seemed to be friendly with some men of the guard, though the majority still despised the sight of them.

Travelling through the mud and muck, the guard house appeared before them. Standing taller than the clay buildings around, and made of stone no less.

The few windows bared with iron. Rather few guards remained stationed around the building, chatting as ordinary men.

One of the men standing near the entrance to the building, gazed their direction as they approached. Nik waved them back, and obediently they retreated into the shadows of a nearby hovel.

Approaching the man with some great confidence, it was clear that they knew one another. The man smiled grandly slapping the boy on his back before striding into the building together.

“How do you think he made friends with a guard?” Luna asked, cautiously eyeing those that were still chatting nearby. Lilith suddenly noticed that she had changed, though when and how seemed to be as much a secret as the source of her talents.

“No idea.” Dvell replied.

“Maybe they knew each other before he became a guard?” Lilith offered.

“I don’t think so,” he mumbled, “Look.”

Nik and the strange guard left the guard house together, laughing at some shared joke. A crossbow, the kind which the guards were generally armed with, was slung over Nik’s shoulder, alongside a quiver of bolts.

With a few more friendly slaps and jovial words, before they soon separated. The guard walking back towards town as Nik strode their direction with such great confidence that it was near frightening.

“See, nothing to it.” Nik told them upon his arrival, “Just gotta bring it back before sundown and there’ll be no problem.”

None had the words to speak, as they looked upon him in amazement. The cross that had been slung over his shoulder, had been wrapped in cloth, but its shape was unmistakeable. Near as long as the boys torso, it looked heavy as it hung from the strap on his shoulder.

Silently Nik led them towards the gate, crossbow swaying on his shoulder every step.

“So, what do we do if we see a monster then?” Luna asked, “Will we just wait for you to kill it, earlier it sounded as if you had more of a plan to it.”

“I’ll use this if I have to,” Nik shifted the crossbow on his back, “But I heard that they won’t attack if we stand still.”

“Wouldn’t that make it difficult to collect flowers?” Lilith asked.

“I didn’t…” He let out a long sigh, “I mean if we see one. We’re not going in there just to stand about, but if they get near we should freeze until they leave.”

“That’s the plan?” Dvell asked sceptically, “Sounds pretty stupid to me.”

“Well, a stupid plan should work on a stupid monster,” Nik replied.

As they talked the city gates came into view, revealing the darkened forest in the distance. Inside that line of trees were beasts of a kind that would make a warrior weep for their mother. Inside was the hope of salvation from their pitiful lives.

Not a word was spared as they strode through the city gates, which were locked wide open. They avoided looking the direction of the guards for fear of being stopped, for fear of being arrested for no reason at all.

Guards stood watch over those passing through the gates but were far too busy gathering taxes from the merchants and farmers who came to the city to sell their wares, and didn’t spare a glance for the filth covered rats that chose to leave the city. Entering again after might cause some trouble they all knew, as the guards preferred to keep them outside the gates where they wouldn’t steal or scavenge from the street.

It wasn’t the rats who left that caused concern but the ones that returned.

“Whew, he’s not on guard duty today.” Nik whispered.

“You piss off another one?” Dvell asked his elder.

“Yeah, he noticed me by chance. But I managed to get away, ever since he’s been keeping an eye out for me. If he finds me, I don’t think they’ll give me a chance.”

“Please don’t get caught, you’ll be sent off to the army. Might as well be a death sentence for how they’ll treat you.” Dvell’s words were caught in Lilith’s throat, but she pushed the rising guilt to the back of her mind.

A number of townspeople and merchants were still leaving the city, heading for other nearby settlements, a few perhaps even making their way towards Norelle. Enviously the group watched them pass, wondering if ever they would have their chance to leave.

They paused at the forest’s edge, staring into it’s dark depths with growing apprehension. Already the cries and caws of animals and beasts unfamiliar sounded out to the group of children.

With a grunt of effort Nik turned to the group, pulling his cross bow to bear as he began his brief speech.

“Pay attention, what we’re looking for is a certain kind of flower. I was told that this is one of the few places around where the flower will grow, but even here they are rare.

“They’re pink or purple with many small petals attached. They tend not to grow near each other, so we’ll have to walk around quite a bit to find many. If you find one, don’t touch it, if you disturb the petals, it could be worth considerably less. If we do well today, we might be able to pay for our passage tomorrow and be out of this hell.”

They all cheered with smiling facades, looking not at Nik but at the forest waiting behind him. Patiently poised to accept any new flesh that dared to enter.

“Hey,” Nik called out to them, “Remember who we are, we’re rats. When the guards come running we’re always ten steps ahead. We run to we’re an ordinary man would never dare fit, and take every opportunity lying before us.

“The forest, it’s nothing to us. We survive in hell already, whatever this place throws at us is nothing compared to what we’ve already survived.”

Lilith found her eyes tracing back to Nik’s heroic figure as he called out to them. His speech gradually wearing away at the fear that had paralysed them.

When they all finally returned from their inside worlds of fear, he forced some glass jars onto them. “Don’t break these, if they crack we’ll be in some trouble.”

They all nodded, holding onto the jars carefully as they followed along after him, comforted by his confident stride. Nik had already forced all the jars upon the rest of the group, his hands instead holding the crossbow casually in his hands.

As soon as they passed the first line of trees, the sun disappeared, and the air thickened in their lungs.

“Do what I tell you in here,” His struggle to maintain his façade clear in the way his shaking hands wavered, “If I say freeze, then don’t you dare move. If I say run, then run with all you’ve got.”

Luna stood up tall, “I know, I know, you always say that even in the town.”

“Well it’s more dangerous here,” He replied drawing a bolt into place. “Follow me and keep an eye out for both monsters and flowers, okay?” They all quietly replied in the affirmative. Gradually forming a column behind him.

The firm soil beneath their feet soon gave way to less reliable footing, with tree roots threatening to trip them and muddy soil trying to suck their feet into place. Only a few dozen metres into this forest and already their surroundings became alien, foreign; a place where men did not belong.

Lilith breathed in the rancid smell of the air, stained with old death. This forest was a grave site for many creatures without ritual, and the birthing place for many minor demons. Though the demons formed from the souls of creatures were far from formidable and seemed oblivious to people. Usually fading away in as little as a day.

The stench of decay, the swaying branches above which stole away the light, the mud that sucked at her feet, as if the earth beneath was preparing to consume them. Every sense in her body screamed for her to run.

Yet, with Nik walking so confidently ahead. With Luna so casually strolling through this horrible place. She couldn’t find it in herself to run away without them.

Swallowing back her fears, she took another step.

Luna’s footsteps traced after Nik’s, her confidence far more true than his. Her wandering eyes gazing out across the landscape, not with fear, but curiosity. One might think that she was unfamiliar with death and suffering, that she was pure and innocent.

Perhaps it was instead her familiarity with the concept of death, that made her so fearless in this moment, Lilith mused as she followed after the young girl.

“Over there,” Luna cried out, her voice cold and monotone.

Following Luna’s raised finger they all looked over to the single flower that bloomed in a ray of light. It rested at the foot of a tree on a small island. By some miracle of nature, sunlight angled through a hole in the canopy, brightening the single point where the flower bloomed.

As they gazed in amazement at the scene, which would only appear once in a lifetime. Dvell strode blindly forwards, “So this is the flower?” He asked under his breath, no sign of the same reverence the others held.

he asked Nik, who was still frozen nearby, gazing at where the broken stem now sagged downwards, becoming merely another part of the filth that filled their shoes.

“It wasn’t just the man who hired me that said so. Plenty of people around the place seemed to want it badly.” Nik replied, finally breaking out from his reverie.

“For some pretty flower,” Dvell mumbled under his breath, “What kind of person pays for flowers, when you just pick some just outside the walls. I wouldn’t go this far unless it was for coin, or queen. One of which would give me life, the other threaten death.”

“I heard that they use them for potions and such. I don’t know exactly what for, but plenty of people will pay.” He reinforced his view by shaking around a small bag with coins, “Remember, he even paid me a little beforehand.”

Without reply they moved onwards, the forest bearing down on them, as the warmth of the air continued to surge.

For not the first time, Lilith grew anxious. Would the maids search for her in the gardens this time? Would they panic? Would they alarm the queen? She silenced these thoughts, knowing nothing good could come of them.

Time carried forwards she knew, but in this place, it seemed as though time slipped away. She was not sure if it had been minutes or days since they entered, yet only a single flower they had to show for it.

Nik was getting more and more tense the further they went without finding another. “Keep looking for them.” He whispered beneath his breath, the sweat growing thicker upon his brow.

“Will he even pay us, if we only bring back one?” Dvell asked, “I mean, he might get upset since he already paid us some.”

Nik didn’t answer. Instead forging onwards, eyes scanning over the same ground again and again. Before long he started to speak, yet his voice was distant.

“Remember Vale and the others? The Rats, that suddenly seemed to be making it big.”

Dvell nodded, “They left town recently, didn’t they?”

“That’s what I heard, but before that I heard something interesting off of Vale. She said that all they were doing was picking flowers for some man in the bad part of town.

“She laughed about him being some kind of creepy romantic for wanting the flowers so bad, but said he always paid well.”

“That’s where you got this job?” Dvell replied before spitting at the ground, “Those pricks always used to look down on us. I don’t know why you’d talk to them like you were friends. Probably just screwed us over like always.”

“I don’t think so…” He could only mumble in reply as he sought for more of the pink flowers.

“AAhh!” Up ahead, Luna gave a small yelp before quickly quieting herself. Her scream coming out quite strongly as even then it denied emotion.

Nik rather than turning back, scanned the area with his ‘borrowed’ crossbow. Searching for an invisible threat.

“What is it?” Lilith asked, rushing to the girl’s side where she’d fallen into the mud.

They both paused, her eyes blinking back fearful tears as she joined Luna in the mud. Finally, Luna pointed to the ground before them, motioning silent accusations.

Lilith, refusing to accept what she saw, what her foot was now ankle-deep in. Reached forwards into the rotting earth. The first thing that she was able to recognise was cloth, more shredded that torn, her hand moved deeper as if magnetised to something vaguely familiar.

Slowly, her hand grasped something soft, lifting it out of the mud. She gazed at it, not seeing. Refusing to see. Denying the reality that now stained her hands.

A single eye, weeping with maggots stared back at her.

Luna sighed, standing back up and taking the object from Lilith’s hand.

“It’s okay,” She said coldly as she threw whatever it had been into the distance.

Lilith stared coldly, where the mud still stained her fingers. It’s not mud. The voice of reason cried out in her mind, yet she could not, would not, hear it.

Luna pulled a rag out from her tattered skirt wiping the, not mud, off of Lilith’s outstretched hand. “It’s okay,” She whispered again, her voice as cold as always, offered more warmth in that moment than Lilith had ever felt in her life.

She pulled Lilith out of the mud, her small body swaying under the greater weight. As she stood on by her own strength, Luna wiped away the bugs that had preferred the living to the dead.

That done, she silently held the older girl close.

Nik and Dvell were somewhere off to the side, talking in quiet voices, but none of it she heard over the high-pitched squealing in her ears. She imagined that it was the unearthly squeal of a thousand dead men. Through her mind, raced every face of the ‘criminals’ that had died right before her eyes. Death. Pain. Suffering.

Warmth. Kindness. Love. Gradually her arms regained strength, returning the younger girls affection. Her love.

Her cold heart beat again slowly. Ever so slowly.

Blinking back her tears, she separated from the younger girl. “Thank you.” She whispered so lightly that she could barely be heard.

“It’s what family is for.” Luna replied, slowly smiling as she so rarely did.

Together they walked towards where the two boys were talking.

“Vale…” Nik said in saddened tone, “I guess she didn’t move away.” His grip on the crossbow was tense as he stared into the forests depths.

“She had it coming.” Dvell replied, “As soon as she gained a little power, she made sure to hurt us. If I were the one with the power…”

Nik looked over to Dvell, “She wasn’t evil, Dvell. She was just doing as she had to to get by. It would have been the same for any of us. Besides, if she’d shown us any affection, she would have instantly lost everything.”

“And look what that got her. Just a lonely corpse, without even the grace of fire. That’s what her selfishness got her.” He spat at the ground, “Unlike her I would’ve helped everyone, no matter the cost.”

Nik smiled and patted him on the back, “Just find us some more flowers and how about you prove those words right then?”

Dvell looked up, “Even if it meant a million flowers, so long as I can save people. So long as I can change this messed up world. A few more flowers are nothing.”

Lilith watched the conversation from a distance, realizing that none of them spoke the one thing that was on their minds. A human left without the grace of fire, almost always birthed something. Something that a crossbow could not touch.

“Come on, we need to get moving before the sun sets.” Nik called out to the group, his voice restrained slightly, as paranoid eyes scanned the forest. “We’ll walk a different way back, find a few more flowers before we leave.”

Luna continued to hold her hand as they walked together back through the forest. The trees around them looked the same as any other, yet Nik walked forwards, confident in his direction. No one doubted him for a moment.

“Stop!” Nik called out forcefully, his voice only a little louder than usual, but filled with a violent panic that sent chills down her spine.

Luna was still holding her hand, yet her flesh quickly turned cold. Not a single breath passed from any of them, as their eyes searched wildly.

Dvell moved his head, ever so slowly, to seek out the reason for this sudden command. Lilith, on the other hand found her eyes staring into the bark of a nearby tree. Well shaded, the tree was enormous at least a dozen steps around, and right in centre, about three metres above them.

Something wasn’t right.

She held back her scream as she untangled the image in her mind. Looking past the camouflage. A creature as tall as Luna clung to the side of the tree. It’s many limbs spread out, crushing the wood in tightened grip. She couldn’t make out a mouth, or face, the surface nearly perfectly replicated the bark that it was hanging from.

Nik was slowly moving his crossbow into position, so incredible slowly.

She’d been taught about these creatures by Harui. Seen pictures drawn, but they didn’t portray the absolute terror that the real thing brought to bear.

In frozen panic she recalled all that she’d been taught about the creatures. Apparently, they waited in ambush before leaping down on nearby prey, they often killed armed soldiers who failed to notice them. It was rare for them to attack large groups of people though.

They became vulnerable after attacking someone.

So then, how large is a large group? She thought, staring up the monster. Four? Five? Ten?

She could not blink, holding firmly onto Luna’s hand.

She could see it, imagine it, taking this person away from her. Stealing away everything precious to her. Her heart writhed with anger, she wanted to kill it. To destroy it. To leave it nothing but ash.

Her weak arms refused to move. Her body not that of a warrior, and not even armed with so much as a small blade.

The anger in her, swirled without direction, as she glared at the shadow.

“No matter what, don’t move.” Nik said, but Lilith couldn’t imagine just standing still and watching as it stole someone away. She’d do something, even if it was pointless, even if it meant her own death. she convinced herself over and over again, yet as she lifted her arm, something held her back.

“No.” Luna whispered, her hand clutching tightly to Lilith’s. “No.” Such a firm whisper, held more emotion to it, than any other time she’d heard her speak. That tiny voice was enough to chase away the anger, leaving her cold and desperate, staring forwards to where Nik was standing, ready to shoot.

She could see his hands shaking as the crossbow lifted into place. Finally, a moment of stillness, and a loud snap, preceding by but a moment, a sound unlike any other.

The squeal so deafeningly loud that she instinctively raised her hands to cover her ears. Her stomach twisted, bones grinded, hairs struggled to free themselves from flesh, as the sound wailed on.

Still motionless they helplessly watched the creature, as it reared back on four of its six limbs, revealing a gaping maw filled with countless razor-sharp teeth. It stretched itself backwards at an impossible angle, continuing to sound out, pain, rage, deathly desires that froze their blood.

Still none of them moved. Nik didn’t even try to reload to crossbow, frozen alongside everyone else, whether that be by choice she had no clue. They stood like that for what might have been an hour, sweat dripping, stomachs curdling, eyes watering.

The light of day faded, moment, by moment, and she knew it as a countdown. Knew that upon the last ray of light, their last hope of surviving would fade. Quietly she apologised to Harui, her maid, who would likely be killed after Lilith could not be found.

Muscles trembling, they waited, knowing that if they made the first move, they would die.

The creature tensed, and tears fell down her eyes, she pulled Luna close. It leapt.

It’s motions blindingly quick, she had no chance of tracing it.

Blinking away tears, she finally moved. Dvell and Nik, knelt down, breathing heavily. Luna, still held in her arms, seemed the most unaffected. The monster, was gone.

Stepping forwards with a cold expression Luna turned back towards them, “Let’s go.” Her voice as cold as ever.