“What the hell is a giant doing here?” Liam asked.

Once they calmed down and realized the giant meant no harm, they climbed out of the carriage and given a tour of the village. In total, there were around thirty cabins erected in the large clearing. According to the giant, he was the first settler here. He uprooted trees, and he created the first cabin made entirely out of their bodies.

That cabin was what Liam and Harold stood in front of. To say it was large was an understatement. The cabin towered above even the tallest of the trees and even towered over the giant himself, and it was already hard for them to look him in the eye from his foot.

“Do you two know where you are right now?” The giant asked.

Liam looked at Harold, waiting for an answer. Harold reach into a bag he brought with him and took out a map. He looked over it, and, spotting nothing, replied with a shrug.

“No, apparently we don’t.” Liam grumbled.

If their driver wasn’t already dead, Liam’d punch the bastard until his face became unrecognizable. He had one job, and they managed to get them all lost.

“Well, you’re in the Brixton Ring of the Exxen Rings.”

Liam corrected his previous thought. Instead of just punching him, he’d be the one to kill him instead of that damned Kinx. The Exxen Rings were the single most dangerous places of Hiphon. Split into seven rings, the Exxen Rings surrounded the center point of the entire continent of Hiphon, the heaven piercing Exxen Mountain range, with the highest mountain being the Exxen Mountain itself.

That’s the reason the Kinx behaved like it did. When animals breach into the Brixton Ring, in a matter of days, they’ll lose all sense and begin attacking everything outside of their species without prejudice. No one knows what makes them act like that, but there’s a theory that the cause came from the Exxen Mountain range.

“How are we going to get back?” Harold grimaced. “The Exxen Rings completely wipe away a person’s sense of direction. Forget holding us back by a few weeks. We might be here for months.”

Harold wasn’t necessarily wrong. The record for someone getting lost in the first ring and getting out alive was around a year and a half. If they want to get out, then the only choice they have is to backtrack, but even that isn’t a guarantee. They could end up misremembering a path they took, then accidentally go deeper within the ring. It’s the most dense of the rings, so it’s the easiest to get lost in.

“Why don’t you stay here for a few days?” The giant said. “While you stay, we can get you some horses well fed for a trip back out. It’ll also help you to think about your next few steps. But before all that,” the giant smiled again, attempting to seem hospitable, but he turned out being the exact opposite. “The name’s Mertle Yearn. Nice to meet you.”

Liam gasped as soon as he heard the giant’s name. He looked back and forth between Oculus and Mertle, wondering how that even occurred. Harold looked at Liam, confused about what got him so on edge.

“That’s your dad?” Liam pointed at the giant.

“That’s my pops.” Oculus said, then began laughing which prompted Mertle to laugh alongside him.

Harold finally caught on and, once again for like the fifth time, his jaw hung agape. Now that they knew Mertle was the father, they could finally spot the similarities. They both had long scarlet hair, and a very similar body structure, only scaled up by five in Mertle’s case. Their face when they smiled and laughed were so identical that it almost made them seem like brothers from another mother.

“What about the mother?” Harold asked, out of sheer curiosity. He just had to see who had to go through such trauma.

“Sadly, she isn’t here.” Mertle said. “She went deeper into the rings, trying to reach Exxen Mountain.”

What he really meant to say was that she had a death wish. The rings themselves are incredibly hostile to anyone and anything coming through. A normal human going into the rings should already be considered dead, and everyone should move on without thinking about their fate. A Gifted could get through the rings, but then they’d have the mountain to face, which not even the strongest of Gifted have successfully beaten yet.

But despite that very common knowledge, they still had a smile on their face. Whether it be because of purposeful ignorance or not, they continued to grin like a child as if nothing’s wrong. The fact she wasn’t here despite leaving years ago should say enough.

“So, are you two going to stay here? At the earliest, we can have your horses ready by tomorrow.”

Liam mumbled to himself, not at all happy about these circumstances. Still, he had to admit, moving out this early wouldn’t turn out well for them. Horses in the rings were hard to tame, so bringing them along without the proper measurements taken would only end in disaster. Truthfully, though it may sting, he’d have to admit defeat and rest here for at least the night.

“Fine, but I want you to promise me two things?” Liam said.

“What is it?”

“First off, I don’t want anybody approaching the wooden box attached to our carriage.” Liam pointed toward the cage so everyone could look at it and get it in their brains. “In that box is very valuable goods that only a king can afford. If any of them are broken…”

Liam shivered, not even wanting to imagine the fate awaiting him if he failed this mission. Only the worst of the worst could happen if the organization found out they managed to detour off course.

“Second, we would like to bring some more rations for our journey. We were running low to begin with.”

Mertle smiled and let out a hearty laugh that only a giant could bellow out. The power of just the laugh alone sent vibrations running up the men’s spines. The inhabitants of the village didn’t even seem to mind it, instead choosing to laugh along with him.

“That’s all? Then we can surely oblige for you.” Mertle walked over to his home and waved them forward. “Come. Let us have a feast!”

Harold walked ahead first while Liam stayed in place for a few seconds. He looked back at the cage, wondering if no one would really mess with it if they weren’t around. Shaking off his worry and doubt, he went ahead, following behind Harold’s lead and chasing after Mertle.

They couldn’t have suspected it. No one really thought of him as a threat since he helped them get to the village to begin with. However, when one poses a mystery and refuses to elaborate further, it’s foolish to expect everyone would be on board letting bygones be bygones.

While their backs were turned, Oculus looked back at the cage, wondering what was in there. That prideful, yet childlike smile ever present on his face.

***

The sun set in the sky, casting a golden glow as the light fought its way through each individual crack of the forest, like an infestation of termites crawling through each hollowed-out section of wood. Liam drank water that was inside of a wooden cup crafted so expertly it would make the trees blush. The sunset set whatever was wrestling inside his mind at ease, with the calming colors and gentle breeze slowly mending at his tired muscles that refused to stop moving.

That wasn’t the only reason he found himself out in the open. With eyes like that of a deadly, yet majestic Gorrow Eagle, he looked at the cage, making sure no one even dared stepped close. A few young kids tried to get close to it, but before they could, the parents stopped them and told them to play elsewhere. The mother looked at Liam and smiled, understanding that he didn’t want anyone close.

The people of this village were way too hospitable for him to believe there wasn’t some sort of catch to everything. Then again, with their level of strength and their leader being a giant, there wouldn’t need to be much worry over if the next visitor wants to take or live. That knowledge led to an uncomfortable but necessary thought. How would these people react if they saw what was actually in that cage? No matter how dangerous and important she is, she still has the guise of a human.

“How you doing?”

Liam looked over to where the voice came from and saw Oculus approaching him with his signature smile. It seemed like he only had two emotions, and he would constantly switch between them whenever he felt like it. Either he was excited, or just simple didn’t care about things, and with no in between or room for anything else.

“I’m fine.” Liam answered. “What do you want?”

“I just want to talk.” Oculus sat beside him, his arms crossing over his knees as he leaned forward.

“What about?”

Oculus’ eyes lit up, and he stared directly into Liam’s eyes. It turned out there was a third emotion hiding inside him all along.

“What’s the world like?” Oculus asked.

Liam didn’t know how to answer that question. He was caught off guard by the wonder and curiosity wafting off of the kid that he had no idea how to answer such a loaded question.

“What do you want to know?” Liam asked.

“Anything!” Oculus stood up, spreading his arms wide. “A long time ago, a visitor came by, saying he came from a land where the trees were all mushrooms and the rivers glowed green and cured any disease. Is that true?”

It didn’t take long for what Oculus said to ring in his brain. He’s heard of that place before too, but never seen it due to its location.

“Tek City? That’s probably what you’re talking about. It’s located in the Gemon Ring, the third ring of the Exxen Rings.”

Not satisfied with just that, Oculus asked his next question. “How about the city that lives under the Exxen Mountains?”

“That also exists. Blackstone City.”

“What about outside the rings? What is that like?”

Liam sighed, scratching his head, unsure of how to satisfy the kid with that particular answer. There was something shining in those eyes that made Liam unwanting to crush that spirit of his. An idea came to mind that could hit two birds with one stone.

“Why don’t you go and explore yourself?”

Oculus’ smile waned a tad, surprising Liam. That bright smile still shined, but there was a hint of sadness within it now. But not only sadness. Liam couldn’t determine what exactly Oculus was feeling at the moment. The realization that he doubted this kid hit him, forcing him to stand alongside him.

“I want to, but there’s something I have to do first before I leave.”

Oculus looked at a random part of the forest, but there was something about the way he stared into the depths of those trees that canceled all terms and definition of random. There was intent in that gaze, but what that intent would lead to is something that only he can know, and something Liam can’t bother even trying to decipher.

But, if there was something that was plainly obvious about this kid, it’s that there’s such a level of determination, ambition, and persistence within him that would make for both a trusting and powerful ally, while also a terrifying and destructive enemy. The last thing he wants to do is get on the kid’s bad side, not just because he’s in his home, but also because he’s afraid of what he can cook up.

By the time their talk was done, the sun had hidden behind the trees, trying its hardest to avoid the moon’s many eyes. His eyes were beginning to weigh him down, and tiredness creeped along his back, begging him to cover up.

“I’m going to sleep.” Liam yawned while stretching his arms.

“Want me to keep watch on your box while you sleep?” Oculus suggested.

Liam raised an eyebrow at the suddenness of that question. Was the kid planning something, or was this just a kind hearted gesture? Then again, the village so far had been hospitable to him, and they haven’t given him any reason to just blindly fear them yet. Not to mention, those kids that attempted to peek into the cage could try to take advantage of them sleeping, so having a watch would always be appreciated.

“Alright. Just don’t mess with it. The stuff in there is worth more than any amount of money you’ve ever seen.”

Oculus nodded, and Liam kept a watchful eye on him, just in case an act broke. Either he was a good pretender or meant everything he said, but nothing about him changed. He still was as truthful as ever.

Liam walked inside the giant’s home where they would spend the night, but concern clawed at him, so he looked back. He expected for their agreement to break immediately as Oculus went to peek inside the cage, but instead, he kept to his word and just sat and watched.

Liam went inside and shut the door, that anxious feeling still whispering into his ears.