Chapter 20 – Law of the Forest
In the Great Forest, humans, elves, dwarves, haflings, and countless other tribes lived in harmony under the careful guidance of the Balance Kingdom.
In one hafling village, laughter and joy filled the air. Children ran through the village square, their cheerful voices echoing between the cozy, mushroom-shaped homes.
Haflings were small, but their hearts were enormous. Blessed with unique skills and powerful instincts, they lived by one motto: All for one, and one for all.
"My parents will win this year's hunting contest and bring back the biggest game!" one boy boasted proudly.
"No way! My dad is definitely going to win!" another shouted.
A girl piped up loudly, "My mom and dad will win this year—remember that!"
Each child argued that their parents were the best hunters. Then Halfy stepped forward, chest puffed with pride.
"My father will win easily! He's the village chief, after all!"
A red-haired boy smirked. "Didn't you forget? My dad was chief before yours. He made your dad chief, remember?"
Halfy shot back, playful but confident. "That's history! My dad is better—that's why he's the boss now. Remember last year? We didn't even have venison in the winter. This year, we will—because my dad is in charge!"
A white-haired girl's voice rang out. "Halfy and Redly are going to fight! Let's watch and bet on who wins!"
Redly crossed his arms. "It was mating season, genius. My father chose not to hunt to protect the forest's continuity. That's wisdom. Your dad? Reckless. Just like you."
Halfy snapped. "You wanna fight, Redly?"
Redly grinned. "Bring it on!"
Older villagers watching from a distance chuckled.
A nearby woman waved her broom angrily. "You children! Shouldn't you stop them instead of enjoying this chaos?"
The old men, kids, and even Halfy and Redly shouted in unison, "Joy-breaker!"
The woman shrieked, "What did you say, you old meatbags?!"
An elder raised his cane, grinning. "Bring it on, young lady!"
Laughter filled the square—until it was abruptly silenced by an intruding howl.
A group of twenty wild hyenas raided the village in broad daylight. Their sharp teeth gleamed, eyes wild, as they ransacked the homes.
The old man, frowning, stepped forward. "These hyenas didn't learn last time. We offered peace, and this is their reward?"
"They've been waiting for this," muttered the woman, watching. "All the strong fighters are away on missions. But attacking in broad daylight… bold, and foolish. Let's see if they survive this."
The elder raised his hand calmly. "Leave now, before you do something you'll regret."
One hyena stepped forward, voice shaking. "We… we need supplies. This forest… this is ours, we hunted here first. We… we had no choice."
The elder observed, realizing the law enforcing livestock and hunting rules had been applied hastily. The messenger was late. They act recklessly, but I can't strike them directly… not yet.
Another young hyena drew a dagger. "Back off, old man. Don't test me."
The elder narrowed his eyes. "Be thankful for the Law of the Forest. Without it, you'd learn a lesson you'd never forget."
A powerful aura spread from him. Some hyenas faltered. A few whispered nervously, clearly shaken.
The raiders ransacked the village's main storage house—stealing food, cattle, tools, even wine—all under the guise of hunting.
Children trembled at the sight. For the first time, they saw the old protectors unable to act.
But the boldest, Halfy and Redly, stood tall. "We'll stop them!" they yelled in unison.
A woman pulled them back. "No! Wait for your fathers. They'll handle this."
Halfy and Redly struggled, frustrated.
Redly muttered, "If you're so strong, why don't you fight?"
The woman sighed. "You young fools… you haven't learned yet."
Some hyenas laughed, but the fear in the elder's aura was unmistakable.
Halfy glared at the hyena with the dagger. "I'll remember you."
The hyena smirked wickedly. "You're lucky. Without the law, half of you would be dead already."
And just like that, the raiders disappeared into the forest, leaving chaos behind.
The elder turned to the children. "What happened today doesn't mean we are weak. But the Law of the Forest forbids us from striking weaker tribes who haven't caused direct harm."
Halfy clenched his fists. "What law?! They attacked us and took everything!"
Redly added, "You grown-ups are idiots! They robbed us in broad daylight!"
Halfy muttered, "Let's wait for our fathers. Then we'll fight back. These old people just want to go back to sleep."
The elder's eyes softened with sadness. They don't understand yet. It's not time to teach them these lessons.
The woman turned to him. "Master Arif, what do we do now? This is the fifth village they've hit. You're one of the forest's wisest—you should start thinking."
Arif stroked his long white beard thoughtfully. "It's complicated… We wait for the others to return. Only together can we address this properly."