For a few heartbeats, Loi felt like as if his heart and mind were going to explode, overwhelmed by what he's seeing and those searing amber eyes and the fear that came with it. The thing standing in the middle of the clearing was like nothing he has seen before, more beast than human. It has the upper body of a man, slim and fit yet packed with muscles under its short-sleeved leather shirt. Strange tattoos covered its pale arms, running from its wrists to its shoulders under the short, tattered sleeves. Its lower body was that of a raptor, long, slender doubled jointed legs end with four-digit feet covered in plated scales, each toe tipped with a curved, talon-like claw.

- Keto-s...! - As Haru was standing up and about to call out, he felt Loi's hand wrapping around his mouth and nose forcefully while the larger boy pressed his brother down to keep him from making any more sound.

- Shhh! - The tanned boy hissed and whispered with a cautious tone as he saw the creature's long pointed ears twitching. - It'll hear us!

- I can hear and see you just fine. - The creature said in an almost nonchalant tone, its amber eyes flickered under its bang of silvery white hair as it looks at the boys. It pointed at them with one clawed finger, gesturing them to get into the light. - Get over here, you two look ridiculous.

Again, Loi was baffled and terrified, it talked again to let them know that it could see them clearly as if to mock their pathetic attempt to hide from such monster. The creature wagged the tip of its tail impatiently, its eyes narrowed to mere slit as it stared deep into Loi's. Gods, those eyes, those fiendish amber eyes were cold and sharp, cutting into the tanned boy's mind as if trying to control him. He felt his limbs turned cold and numbed as he fell onto his knees, his mouth hung open with only the sounds of shivering breaths escaping his from his lips.

The world around them was silenced of every sound, even when they're inside the Forbidden Forest, this silence felt unnatural and different from before. It was cold and dark, shackling Loi's mind with dark tendrils of fear. He tried to flee, yet found his entire body frozen in place, unresponsive of any of his mind's commands, with only his eyes still able to taking the images of the beast slowly standing up and walked toward them. He started to panic, wordless sounds escaped his shaking teeth, sweats poured down from every part of his face, his entire body shivered in fear as the beast was mere footsteps away from him. The tanned boy closed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth, hoping that it would end soon.

- Rai! Rai!

- What?! - Loi flinched and yelped as he heard his brother's voice and felt Haru's hands shaking his shoulders. He turned to look at the smaller boy, somehow his brother was unaffected by whatever it is that he's felt when he sees...

- Oi, kid. You alright? - The creature was crouching in front of him, raising one of its eyebrows in an almost humanlike fashion.

- Get away from us! - The tanned boy lashed out, unsheathing his dagger and swung it at the creature while dragging his brother backward.

- Rai! Calm down! - Haru pleaded desperately, trying to calm his brother, pulling at his cloak weakly to break from Loi's grip. - He's not going to harm us!

- That's not entire true. - Quetz growled, licking the small cut on his cheek before leaping forward.

He landed on one foot next to Loi head while the other wrapped around the boy's neck, pressing him down onto the forest floor before bending down and forcefully removing the dagger from his hand. Having neutralized the boy, the white haired male swiftly rotated his entire body, using his momentum to throw his prey into the clearing and released his brother from his grip at the same time.

Loi landed on his back with a large thud before rolling a few more time on the forest floor, his ears rang with the sounds of a thousand chimes. He tried to pull himself up, tripping and falling from the slippery ground soaked with blood. Panic set in as the tanned boy could barely comprehend his surrounding, he flailed his limbs around, tossing up earth and mosses, scratching his hands in the process. Everything around him was blurred, shifting shapes and colors assaulted his senses, making him loose his balance and footings. In the swirling madness, there were only the footsteps and growling of the approaching beast. Loi could hear it, even with his senses dulled, he could still hear the splayed out clawed toes, the hissing coming out of the maw full of teeth, the sounds of the creature's jaws, cracking as it unhinged them to devour him.

- No! Stop! Don't hurt him!

Haru's arms wrapping around his waists gave Quetz pause, he looks down with glowing amber eyes, clawed hands raised and readied to strike. Yet as he did, his gaze locked with the boy's watery violet eyes, the terrified look in those beautiful orbs couldn't hide the bravery and determination lied just below. It was tensed, not just for the boy who was fearing for both his life and his brother's, but for the older male as well. Just as Quetz has feared, those eyes belonged to the runt of an infant he left in his friend's care long ago, still retaining all the determination and bravery masked by the frail body and timid personality, all the traits that he hates the most about human. All the traits he hated the most about his former self.

Haru let out a distressed yelp as he felt Quetz's hand on his back, he tightened his grip, trying to hold on, knowing full well that the older male would try to tear him off. But instead of doing that, the white haired man's hand gently moved upward, stroking the back of his head and lowered his entire body. Much to Haru's surprise, Quetz was more patient than his fearsome appearance has suggested. Even his tail, which is usually the reflection of its owner's emotions, was calm, slowly swaying from side to side while the white haired man continued to caress Haru's head.

The motions were steady and gentle, so out of place compared to his temperaments previously yet it seemed like Quetz was familiar with it and strangely, so was Haru. The white haired boy felt his eyelids became heavy, hypnotized by the gentleness of the stroking, something he has never felt when Mitsuki does it. Pressing his ear against the man's side, he somehow instinctively knew to listen for his heartbeats while his hands reached up to hold the Quetz's chest. The soothing sensation was somehow...familiar, calling the white haired boy from the deepest corners of his mind, from the most faint and haunting of his occasional fever dreams. It was always the same, Haru saw himself as a baby, crying and reaching for a large shadow, begging whoever it was not to leave him. The shadow would looks back at him with sad amber eyes, a clawed hand then reached out, clasping around his small wrist before pulling away, leaving behind a burning sensation and Haru waking up in tears and unexplained sadness and sorrows.

- Haru! Haru! - Loi called out to his brother from the other side of the clearing.

- Shhh... - Quetz raised a finger onto his lips, signally the tanned boy to keep silence before standing up, pulling the white haired boy onto his feet in the process.

- H-huh? - Haru's eyes blinked open, his mind quickly caught up to what his body has been doing, causing him to leaped backward, face blushing bright red from his embarrassing actions. - I-I'm sorry Keto-san! I d-don't know wh-what came over me! I-I...

- Don't apologize to him! - Loi rushed toward his brother, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy and glared at the monster in front of them who was casually picking up the cloak Haru's dropped on the ground. - This...this thing...couldn't be who...what we're looking for! Right?!

- He is! - Haru protested, face still red from what he's done, he stared at the ground, unable to look at Quetz due to embarrassment. - I-I told you...h-he's...different.

- Bu-but... - Loi was speechless, he's thought that his brother's description of the man was just highly symbolic, not a mockery of nature, a literal monster who moments ago was readied to tear him apart.

- Ahem. - The white haired man cleared his throat, eyes narrowed annoyingly at the bickering children as he put on his cloak. - It would be much better for all of us if you two stop arguing, we have urgent matters to attend to.

- W-we?! - Loi yelped. - What "we"?! You're not suggesting we go with you are you?!

- At a matter of fact, I am. - Quetz snarled and put on the hood before reached out his hand toward Haru. - Come Runty, I'm taking both of you back to the village.

- M-me? - Haru confusedly pointed at himself, not sure why the man called him by that name.

- Yes, you. - Quetz nodded as patiently as possible. - Or do you want to stay here?

- N-no! - Haru rushed toward the man, pulling his brother with him with new found strength and tucked at the man's hand. - Don't leave us here!

- Haru! Be careful! - The tanned boy yanked at his brother, trying to keep distance from the stranger.

- If you don't want him to hold my hand, suit yourself. - Quetz raised one eyebrow. - But it'd be wise to hold onto me if you want any hope of getting out of here. The dryads are not very fond of outsiders. - He glanced at the boys with a mischievous grin before striding into the forest. - A dryad dragged you here didn't she?

- Dryad? - Loi asked as he holds onto his brother's hand and grabs the man's cloak and followed him into the darkness. - You meant the tree monster.

- Yes, Timon told me that she used...extreme measure to get Haru here. - Quetz chuckled, through the rays of light piercing through the canopies, the boys could he his shoulders shaking. - It's best if you stay quiet until we're out of here, the tree spirits don't like to be disturbed, and they're not as gentle as they used to be.

Loi and Haru kept their mouths shut as they follows Quetz through the darkness, turning and snaking their ways on unseen path, dodging hidden obstacles with such ease that they might as well be walking in daylight. Whispers and low rumbling noises were heard, the sensation of being watched washed over the boys, yet the intentions of those unseen eyes were different now, more curious than malicious. Even the air was different, where once it was staled and wreaked of death and decay, now light breezes flowed between tree trunks, refreshing their lungs and hastening the progress.

It wasn't long until the canopies become thin enough for more light to pierce through, the whisperings and rumblings were now but distanced memories, so too were the unseen eyes that have followed each of their footsteps. Yet something was not right as Loi looked around, the familiar ruins and landmarks indicate that they've reached one of the game trails near the Walker's Forest. It couldn't have been, the tanned boy thought, it took them two days to reach the Forbidden Forest, and now they were hours, if not less from the village.

- What have you done?! - Loi let go of Quetz's cloak, staring at the man in front of him.

- What? We don't have time for this. - The older male turned around with an annoyed expression partially hidden under his hood.

- We walked for two days to reach the Forbidden Forest, why are we back here so soon? - Loi narrowed his eyes, pushing his brother behind him. - What sorcery did you use?

- I didn't do anything. - Quetz tilted his head, as if to mock the boy's cautiousness. - I simply took the quickest path that the trees offered.

- R-Rai...please... - Haru pleaded quietly, gripping onto his brother's chest from behind. - D-don't fight him...

- Listen to Runty, it would be unwise for you to fight me. - Quetz said and walked toward them, giving Haru a gentle head rub, much to Loi's disgust, before turning around. - We don't have much time, let's go.

Loi exchanged a suspicious looked with Haru, hoping that his brother would see his reasoning, yet those pleading violet eyes were too much for him. The tanned boy let out a sigh and continued to follow Quetz, hand holding his brother's to find what little comfort he could offer. He's never noticed it, but Haru's hands were small and soft, warm to the touch, the likes of which that make Loi never want to let go of his dear little brother. He wrapped his arm around Haru's shoulder and pulled him close, not willing to let him stray too far, not when that monster was still near.

Almost instinctively, Haru leaned against his brother, one of the few people who'd tolerate him, causing the bigger boy to flinch. His brother's pale skin was soft and warm, pressing against Loi's shoulder causing warmth to rush from there to his face. Loi rubbed his face, trying to dismiss such feeling, he's always see the white haired boy as a little brother whom he loved and cared for deeply, but now...he doesn't know anymore.

Quetz's arrival didn't help either, if anything, Loi saw the man as a threat not only to himself, but also to his bond with Haru. It took years of growing up together for the white haired boy to build up enough trust between them to let them touch him, and yet the beastly man in front of them easily calmed him down with just his head stroking. The tanned boy bit his lower lip and glared at the older male, towering over them as he led them through the Walker's Forest. As he did, he felt fear slowly seeping into his mind, fear that made him occasionally glance at Haru and sigh in relief when the smaller boy smiles back.

Yet that fear lingered on, if anything, it seemed to be growing with each step they took, writhing like maggots from a carcass, filling Loi's mind with visions of Haru leaving him for that man. He didn't want to let Haru go, he wanted to keep his brother for himself, a selfish and dark desire, fueled by the most tainted and forbidden of emotions. The tanned boy stopped dead in his track, tightening his grip around Haru's slender hand while the smaller boy looks at him with concerned eyes.

- R-Rai? - Haru called out softly, rubbing his thumb against the bigger boy's hand.

- Please don't leave me!

Confusion washed over the other boy's face, his shocked expression made the tanned boy's heart wrench in agony. Was he shocked because it took this long for Loi to confess? Or didn't realize the tanned boy's feeling for him until that moment? Has he never considered the possibility that Loi cares for him more than just a brother? It pained that tanned boy greatly, knowing that the white haired boy only sees him as just a brother. He bit his lips, trying to hold in the screams of frustration while tears leak out of his tightly shut eyes, if only Haru would understand his feelings...

- Rai? - The white haired boy held both of his brother's hands. - I'm not leaving you. - His voice was angelic, the voice that made Loi hate himself for loving it.

- Please... - The bigger boy pleaded and looked up with tears-drowned eyes. - Please...I love you... - He pulled onto his brother's hands. - I-I love you more than any brother should, I k-know I shouldn't have these feelings b-but...

Shock, confusion and fear were clearly visible in those beautiful purple orbs that were Haru's eyes and on the expressions of his face, and Loi hated them. Why? Why them? Why those feeling? Where are the joys, the relief, the happiness of knowing that he was loved in this way? Loi didn't understand, he has spent every waking hours trying to protect the boy in front of him, and this his how he repays that kindness...all because of some illusions that Quetz, that monster, has feelings for him too.

- R-Rai... - Haru opened his mouth to speak again, cautiously choosing his words. - I-I l-love you too...as a brot...

- That's not enough! - The tanned boy shrieked and clawed his fingers into his black messy hair. - Why won't you understand! I love you! I love you Haru! I want to be with you forever! I...I... - He stuttered as he sees into those violet eyes, the self disgust and doubts Loi has for himself were transformed. They mixed with the fear already presented in those almost transparent eyes, before being hurled back into the bigger boy's minds and heart.

Hatred. Haru hates him, he must be, he hates Loi for having these feelings, he hates Loi for trying to stop him from his "happiness". The spiteful boy turned his gaze toward the man in front of him, who has been silently followed the boys' conversation from a safe distance. A repulsive sight, how he stood so stilled, his tail held high, swaying calmly as if it was none of his concern. How Loi wanted to bury his dagger deep into that monster's skull, yet he knew full well that if he so wanted, Quetz could easily kill him without breaking sweats. Another emotion roiled within Loi, his desires for Haru's affections turned to craving for the older male's raw strength, the roost of Haru's aspirations toward him.

- Something's wrong. - Quetz said quietly, tilting his head to listen for any sign of danger.

- Keto-san? - Haru tore his attention off his brother and took a step forward. - What's wrong?

- Don't go close to him! - Loi yelled and clamped his paws onto his brother's shoulders.

- Rai! What's wrong with you!? - Haru sounded confused, terrified and even angry, his violet eyes dashing through Loi's face to search for an answer.

- Just...don't... - Loi said quietly, holding in the tears and screams.

- Look out!

An arrowed pierced through the air toward Haru, stopping just inches away from his eyes. Blood dripping from the metallic tip, trickling onto the ground, causing both of the boys to leaped back while the older male stood motionless in front of them, seemingly unaffected by his injury. Quetz raised his right arm, biting on the feathery end of the arrow and pulled it off his wrists. A large gasp caught the white haired man's attention, with a swift flick of his other hand, he send his dagger flying toward the sounds of rustling leaves.

- Augh!

Haru flinched as a man fell down from the branches of a nearby tree, clutching as his leg where the handle of Quetz's knife was sticking out. He felt his legs shaking as the older male made his way toward the struggling man, a person whom he recognized was one of the hunters. The white haired man grabbed the handle of his dagger and pulled out swiftly, causing the hunter to scream in pain before swinging it in a beautiful arch, sending the blood flying off the black blade.

- Stop it! - Once again, Haru found himself speaking up against Quetz. - You're hurting him!

- He aimed that arrow at you. - Quetz snarled, wrapping his raptorial toes around the man's throat and started squeezing.

- B-but... - The white haired boy gripped his chest, the urge to save the man clashed against the fear he has for his older companion.

Next to him, Loi was both horrified and overjoyed, Quetz's sheer tenacity and willingness to kill human gave him an open window to impress his brother. To him the beast in front of them was just that, a beast, with little to no regard for human life save for the ones that would potentially benefit him. The tanned boy slowly reached for his dagger, if he could just surprise that beast.

- P-please... - The man pleaded with choking breaths. - The c-cursed ch-child...brought them...

- Who? - The white haired man relinquished his grip, allowing his prey to explain, hand gesturing for Haru to come nearer.