The morning fog hung low over the village as Hugo, Lyra, and Kael gathered outside the last of the burned-out houses. Smoke from chimneys spiraled lazily into the sky, and the distant cry of birds reminded them that the world went on, even as chaos loomed.
"We can't stay here," Lyra said bluntly, hands on her hips. "The raiders will be back, and we're sitting ducks."
Kael nodded, fingers brushing along the hilt of his sword. "Safe zone's the only option. No point wandering aimlessly. We move at first light."
Hugo shifted his weight, glancing between them. "And… how exactly are we traveling? Together? Separate? I'd rather not get chopped into pieces before breakfast."
Lyra crossed her arms. "Together. Everyone watches the others' backs. No lone wolves. We stick as a unit until we get there"
Kael's tail swished behind him. "Lyra's speed and instincts are decent. Hugo... we'd be better off with a toddler."
Hugo blinked, offended. "A toddler? Really? I'm not that bad!"
Lyra smirked. "You do have a habit of wandering into trouble before thinking, so... yes you are."
Hugo held up his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. But I'm not babysitting anyone."
Kael's eyes flicked to the girl, who had been quietly crouched near Hugo, staring intently at the ground.
Hugo raised an eyebrow. "And… what about her?" He nodded toward the slave girl, who had been quietly observing.
Lyra's gaze softened. "She stays with you. Keep her close."
Hugo glanced at the girl. Her eyes lit up faintly at his glance. Without hesitation, she moved closer, crouching slightly.
"Fine," Hugo said, shaking his head with a smirk. "Then it's settled. We move together. Kael leads, I follow with her, and Lyra watches from behind."
Lyra rolled her eyes but didn't argue. Kael only snorted. The slave girl crouched lower, peering at the mud ahead.
And so, they decided to move as one. Survival depended on trust and on each step they took together.
And together, they stepped into the waiting forest.
The forest stretched endlessly, trees arching overhead. Hugo, Lyra, and Kael moved with quiet efficiency, the sounds of their footsteps muted by damp leaves. Hugo kept glancing over his shoulder, half-expecting the slave girl to trail behind. Sure enough, a few seconds later, she appeared, barefoot, hair tangled, but eyes sharp and determined.
A few steps behind, she followed, eyes wide, as she tried to place her tiny feet exactly where his had landed. She wobbled on one foot, stretched a little too far, stumbled over a root, and quickly hopped into the next print, giggling softly at her own clumsiness. She continued on stepping in his footprints.
The first day of travel was slow. The forest was dense, roots twisting up like nature's own traps, streams crisscrossing the path, and the occasional animal call reminding them the woods were alive. The group moved cautiously, navigating around fallen branches and rivers.
By nightfall, the fire was their only defense against the dark. They made camp on a small clearing near a brook. Hugo collapsed, rubbing his sore legs, tennis shoes caked with mud.
Lyra dropped her pack with more grace, stretching her arms toward the fading light. "Two more days, maybe three, if the forest keeps twisting like this," she murmured.
Kael crouched by the brook, filling a canteen. "That's if we don't get slowed down. The woods aren't empty." His tail flicked. "Plenty of things worse than wolves."
"Great," Hugo muttered. He leaned back on his hands, glancing up through the canopy. A thin shred of sunset bled through the branches, just enough to make him feel far from home. Two days? Might as well be two years.
The slave girl appeared quietly at his side, barefoot and mud-smeared, clutching a twig she'd been fiddling with. She sat cross-legged near him without a word, as if her place had always been there.
They set up camp. Hugo by the fire, Lyra stacking wood, Kael watching the forest, and the slave girl quietly organizing the kindling beside Hugo. The fire crackled, casting long shadows, and for a brief moment, the group felt a fragile sense of safety in each other's presence. Hugo sat hunched forward, elbows on his knees, staring at the flames like they might hold answers.
"You ever notice," he muttered, half to himself, "how a fire makes everything quieter? Like it scares the forest into listening."
Lyra, who was calmly cleaning her staff with a rag, looked up. "Or maybe it just makes you feel safer. Fire doesn't silence the world, Hugo. It just drowns it out."
"Same thing," Hugo said, rubbing his palms together.
They sat in silence for a while. Just taking in the oddly calm feel of being together.
"So... where did you all come from?" Hugo asked
Kael's amber eyes rested on the fire, distant and steady. "I'm not from here," he said quietly, voice low and measured. "Mountains, deserts, heat that eats you alive if you're not careful. My world… it wasn't kind. Rules there… they don't make sense here. Strength isn't enough. You have to think, wait, watch. One mistake and it's over."
Hugo glanced at him, swallowing. "Yeah… I get that. Not exactly like my world, either. Big city, concrete, lights, noise… You think you know how to survive, but it barely prepares you for… this."
Lyra smirked faintly. "You mean running through forests and worrying about getting your head chopped off?"
Hugo managed a small, tired laugh. "Something like that."
Lyra flopped down on her back, looking up at the sky. "I get it," she said. "I'm from here... but it wasn't easy. Village life looks simple, but everyone's got expectations. Mess up once and people will make sure you feel it. Physically, socially… emotionally."
Hugo exhaled, staring at the fire. "Yeah… I guess everybody has their own version of hell."
Lyra grinned faintly. "Exactly. You learn who's worth trusting, who's worth fighting for. And you figure out who's going to screw you over the first chance they get."
"And what's your name?" Hugo asked the slave girl who was practically glued to his side.
She looked up at him but did not respond.
"She probably doesn't know how to talk... most slaves don't," Lyra said.
"So... what should we call her then?" Hugo asked.
"Well, she seems to have taken a liking to you, so you should name her," Kael muttered.
Hugo blushed slightly. "No, she hasn't- fine... hmmm... maybe... Elena?"
"Elena it is, then," Lyra said, and Kael gave a curt nod of agreement.
That night, Hugo and Elena would share a small blanket by the fire. Lyra rolled out her bedroll a few feet back, close enough to keep close to Hugo, and Kael stretched out near the edge of the clearing, tail flicking lazily but his sharp eyes still scanning the dark forest. His scales caught the firelight, bronze glinting with hints of green, and the faint scars along his arms and neck gave him the look of someone who'd been through more than he let on. Even sitting there, half relaxed, he gave off that quiet, measured kind of presence, like he was always thinking two steps ahead. To Hugo, Kael felt untouchable, alert and steady in a way that made the fire feel warmer and the dark forest a little less threatening.
The fire would burn low, enough for warmth and a little light, but not so much as to give them away.
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Morning came gray and heavy, the fog still clinging to the trees like cobwebs. Hugo stretched with a groan, blanket sliding from his shoulders. Elena stirred beside him, blinking sleepily, then immediately shifted closer when he stood, like his shadow was the only tether keeping her in place.
Lyra was already awake, stirring embers back into flame and muttering something about breakfast that turned out to be a handful of foraged berries and roots.
Across from them, Kael didn't speak. His amber eyes reflected the firelight as he sharpened his blade with slow, deliberate strokes. The air felt heavier near him, like every breath cost just a little more effort. Hugo noticed it first, his chest tightening, his limbs aching in a way that felt like fatigue pressing down on him.
"Kael…" Lyra's voice had a warning edge.
He didn't look up. "Relax. I'm holding it back." His tone was calm, but there was no apology in it.
Elena shivered, inching closer to Hugo, her gaze fixed warily on the lizardman.
Kael explained his curse, "Gluttony… It's part of me. My presence eats at what others have... strength, stamina, even magic. I'm always hungry. Always. Nothing fills it, nothing satisfies it. Everyone feels it, whether they want to or not."
Elena cocked her head at the exchange. She reached out, touched the berries, then looked at Hugo. "...Food?"
The word came halting, clumsy on her tongue, but unmistakable.
Hugo blinked. "Wait. Did you—"
Lyra grinned. "Looks like she's paying attention." She tapped her chest. "Lyra."
Elena repeated it softly. "...Ly-ra."
Kael paused mid-swipe of his whetstone, his amber eyes flicking toward the girl. After a beat, he tapped his chest. "Kael."
Elena hesitated, then whispered, "Ka…el."
Finally, her gaze landed on Hugo. Her lips shaped around his name, uncertain but earnest. "…Hu…go."
Something in Hugo's chest tightened. He tried to play it off with a shrug. "Yeah, that's me."
The day's march was slower, the ground muddy from the rain the night before. Hugo led, Lyra scouting paths ahead, Kael watching their rear. Elena stuck to Hugo's prints again, mimicking each step, but this time she would glance up and whisper words under her breath. "Tree… rock… water…" repeating what Lyra or Hugo pointed out.
It might've been almost peaceful, if not for the unease creeping at the edges. Tracks in the mud that didn't belong to animals. A snapped branch, too clean to be natural. Kael's ears twitched, his hand never straying far from his sword.
"We're not alone." His voice was a low growl.
Then came the whistle of an arrow.
It thudded into the dirt inches from Hugo's foot.
"Bandits!" Lyra snapped, already springing to her feet. Figures emerged from the tree line, shadows with blades glinting in the sunlight.
Hugo scrambled upright, dragging Elena back behind him as Kael surged forward, sword flashing.
But in the chaos, Hugo felt Elena jerk in his arms, and heard her cry out. He looked down. Her arm was streaked with red where an arrow had grazed her.
"Shit—Elena!" His voice broke, but he tightened his grip, shielding her as the fight raged.
Kael's amber eyes narrowed, movements precise and lethal. He slashed, parried, and sidestepped with unnatural grace, each motion pulling invisible weight from the air around him, leaving the attackers sluggish, their swings labored. Hugo felt it too, the strange heaviness pressing at his arms and legs, slowing him just slightly, even as adrenaline pumped. Kael's presence was… draining.
Elena's shallow breaths were quick, and Hugo could see the panic in her wide eyes.
Lyra helped Hugo attend to Elena's wound.
With a subtle flick of his clawed hand, Kael had one bandit stumble, muscles suddenly stiff, grip weakening.
Hugo swallowed his fear and talked comfortingly to Elena, "It's okay, you're safe. Just hold on."
Elena whimpered but gripped his arm. Hugo pressed his hand over hers, trying to steady her. "You're doing fine. I've got you."
The bandits hesitated, unnerved by Kael's aura. Their strength stolen without Kael touching them. Hugo realized, with a sick twist in his gut, that Kael's "gluttony" wasn't just a warning. He could feed off them even mid-fight.
The remaining bandits broke and ran, leaving the group panting, bruised, and bleeding. Elena's arm was the worst injury, a shallow but deep enough cut to need attention. Lyra ripped strips from her skirt, pressing them to her wound, cleaning and binding with practiced hands.
'You're going to be alright," Lyra said to Elena.
Elena's small nod was shaky, her hand curling into Hugo's. He caught her eyes, seeing gratitude, fear, and… something else. Something warm, delicate, that made his chest tighten more than the pain of the fight.
Kael crouched a short distance away, amber eyes scanning the trees. "Bandits won't come back… not tonight. But we keep moving at first light," he said, voice even, almost casual.
Hugo exhaled, shoulders sagging. "Right. First light. Everyone… okay?"
Lyra checked herself, brushing dirt off her clothes. "Yeah. Cuts, bruises… nothing fatal."
Hugo looked at Elena again, smoothing her hair back from her face. "We'll get you somewhere safe. Just… keep following my lead."
Elena whispered something unintelligible, then pointed at Hugo, attempting a smile. Hugo grinned faintly, though his mind churned. Kael's presence, the fight, Elena's injury. It all made the forest feel heavier than before. And then it finally clicked, this wasn't his city anymore. Not the world he knew, not the rules he understood. Everything here moved differently, weighed differently, even danger itself had a new shape. With Kael beside them, they could survive, but only if Hugo learned to play by these unfamiliar rules.