I would say depending on how annoying you find that, make a couple more fantasy and keep the rest the same. So a 50/50. You dont have to change every single animal to have some feature that it's Earthly counterpart doesnt have.
This definitely sounds more doable and fun XD Trying to figure out how much "Earth" to keep has always bothered me a little, especially when it comes to things like dates, sports, instruments. Like, would it still be okay to call a violin, a violin...?
Speaking of Omniscient POV... I've been hooked to a korean webnovel recently called Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (there's also a webmanga version ongoing). It's a translated version, but I've been really enjoying the plot progression and characters. Amost forgotten the feeling of being sucked into a story... =w=
I've regained a bit of inspiration and motivation while reading it and was able to complete the next chapter.
- - - - -
Man, this chapter's given me a lot of grief these past few months. As you can see, I haven't posted any new material since February because I had to rewrite it at least three times. My prior attempt to the current version ended up putting a dark turn to the story that didn't seem to fit with the overal tone. Even though it had a lot of things I liked, I decided to scrap most of it...
Well, I hope it's better now. I had fun with it. Hope to keep momentum to do the next chapter as well!Chapter 20: Prank Gone Wrong
Dae is back?
Shira slipped out of bed for the third time. Her throat, hand pressed protectively around it, ached with a dull pain. She crept up to the door, movements silenced by the carpeted floor, and opened it a crack.
Dae stood at the far end of the big round living room in her signature robe outfit, two pointy ears jutting out of her hood, and a cloth mask hiding her mouth. Gran seemed to have gone to another part of the house and was not in sight.
How come? I was sure she was going to the Nionis. Did she forget something? Shira thought.
“W-what are you doing here?” Dae asked, her voice tense and undulating in a weird melodic manner. Two pinpoints of shock showed plainly in her wide eyes.
Closer to Shira, in the entryway by the backyard patio, Nuyori gazed silently at her daughter for a few moments. “…Snake pit, yes. I will head there shortly,” she muttered into the phone before putting it away.
Shira wished she could see what expression her mother was making. Was she relieved or upset? The woman started towards Dae, speaking in a calm voice that hinted at neither emotion. “I was informed that Shira had ingested poison… and I was just told that there was a possibility... that you had gone somewhere… but it seems that isn’t the case.”
With each step Nuyori took across the living room, Dae grew stiffer and stiffer. Shira went still, wondering what would happen. Though she was their mother, Nuyori’s presence as the Acor’s “Bear” intimidated even her own family.
Shira frowned and squinted at her sister, an uneasy, sickening feeling creeping up underneath her mask. She should’ve been more careful coming in. Now she’s in for it. Didn’t she see the Birdie outside? Why didn’t she go to the Nionis?
Dae shrunk back under the looming stature of the Warden. Her eyes crinkled into happy smiling half-crescents. “Oh, about that! You see – I was just looking for Dave! Is he here?” She quickly gathered herself back, leaning away with the resemblance of an animal ready to bolt from the room.
Nuyori tilted her head sideways in a questioning manner. “I thought you wanted to talk to Gran about something?”
“Ah, that? I was just going to ask if she had seen Dave. I just wanted to ask him something.”
“Is that all?”
“Yep, that’s all, ehehe.”
EHEHE?
If this had been any other time of year, Shira would have checked the sheepish laugh off as Dae having one too many fermented Zerakis grapes. But this wasn’t any normal time. In fact, it would be the perfect opportunity for the lurking enemy to appear while the leader was away. And how odd was it that someone with the vehemence to club an apple to the moon would come back laughing?
That was when her uneasy feelings fell into place beneath her mask. Just as one can pick out their friends or family out of a crowd just by hearing their voice, or seeing their figure, or recognizing their walk, Shira knew the person standing there, with Dae’s outfit, and Dae’s bow, and Dae’s voice, right down to the shadow she cast, just did not feel like Dae.
“I see.” Nuyori lowered her head.
“Mom?” Dae said nervously.
“It’s nothing.” Nuyori patted her head. “Stay here with your sister. I need to take care of something. Don’t give any trouble to your Gran. I’ll be back.”
Eh? Wait – mom?! Shira almost ran out to stop her, but it was too late. The sounds of the Birdie faded away into the distance and she was left - with a person who wasn’t her sister. Her head prickled from whirring thoughts. Oh no… oh no no no… This is bad. I’m by myself. They’re here for Dave, but they might come after me. Should I call someone? No, if they’re fighting, I’ll only distract them. I don’t have anyone else’s number. Wait…
Would anyone else come if I called them? Shira blinked in certain realization. The instant answer from herself was, Probably not. After all, hadn’t she been avoiding just about everyone all summer? A hollow feeling sunk in.
Somehow, she felt terribly alone right now.
Movement in the living room. Shira jerked back when the stranger’s face swung her way. In a frantic moment, she dashed back to the table by the bed where her daggers and phone lay.
A few options presented themselves. Daggers - she could fight them right now. Phone - she could try calling for help anyway.
Her hand hovered over the weapons for a split second then grabbed the phone. Defending in her weakened state would be foolish. The best idea right now was somehow alerting her Gran, whom she felt nearby.
Come on - come on - ! Her fingers quivered with cold, shakily tapping the screen.
A ringtone blared out. Her cell dropped from her hands. The unfamiliar sound continued from outside and cut off abruptly, followed by a strange female voice speaking loudly with no effort of secrecy.
“One of the wardens is coming! I’d give you all twenty minutes at the least. Might want to wrap it up quick, you know.”
The high-pitched timbre of the new voice bore no resemblance to the low rough manner of Dae. The cadence of their speech reminded Shira of a child, yet the way they spoke in such a smooth and calculating manner had to be of someone older.
“Dave Tiuruh? He’s not here! I think he must have followed the Heiress’ son. Hurry and cut him off! Huks said it’d be too troublesome to have all three of them in the same spot.”
Who… is that? Shira froze in place, holding her breath as her heart thumped against her chest. She wanted to look out and at the same time didn’t, caught in that horror that grips a person facing the unknown. But her anxiety won over. If a confrontation was unavoidable, she’d rather have eyes on them first.
Slowly, she reached down to her phone and picked it up. The voice out there had gone quiet. Puzzled, she stealthed up to the door and peeked out.
Whatever she expected to see, it wasn’t the empty living room.
What? I know they’re still here - how could they have -
Then the voice spoke again and Shira gasped, inducing a series of painful coughs that she couldn’t hold back.
They were on the other side of the door.
“I’m going to get started here. If you mess up, I’m not sticking around, got it? You’re also going to get busted if you don’t take care of the Warden, you know. See you later, then!”
It was pointless to hide now or even try a surprise attack. Shira stumbled to the wall that would be behind the door if it opened. She sought her Gran’s number again. Her eyes stung from the coughing tears, making it hard to see the text on the screen.
For some reason, she couldn’t accurately press on the right button, such was the trembling in her arms. The door handle rattled. She bumped her head on the wall. A bottle on the table fell over. The whole ground was vibrating -
Shira heard the screeching of an animal.
Hee hee!
People were shouting outside.
Someone was laughing in her ear.
Dae’s head stretched through the opening door and said in the stranger’s singsong voice -
“Hey there, girlie.”
* * * * *
“Kegh..!” Roun stiffened. For a brief moment, the road in front of him spun and he leaned low over the wolf’s back. “Quo – stop - I can’t breathe –”
Quo skidded to halt and Roun stumbled off, holding his chest. It was like something was squeezing the air out of his lungs, making his heart beat faster. Even though he wasn’t moving anymore, the ground kept swaying and the trees kept tipping back and forth.
This has to happen now?
He felt for the pouch on his right side and dug through the contents with sweating palms. First, he grabbed the small bag containing the black pills from Healer Swallow and jammed five of them into his mouth. After swallowing those, he pulled out a wooden thin tube the length of his thumb. Puny red seeds rolled out of it, translucent like absorbent pearls. He took only two of these, then rested against the side of the road, waiting for the dizziness to subside.
It was about a couple of minutes before the tightness in his chest subsided and the world stopped spinning. Quo whimpered in concern for him while staring suspiciously at the wooden tube. Roun saw him and flicked his nose. “You can’t eat Spax Berries. You were born under the favour of Universa Energy. I don’t know what the conditions are going to be when we get there, but I’m going to need them.”
Spax Berries. Only tough to harvest because of their spikes and locations in the Deep Woods, they served for more than just another food for the Acor. It wasn’t the Spax Berry itself they wanted, but the Spax Berry seeds. Although the unstable areas they grew in were dangerous for humans, the berries themselves seemed to have adapted to this by producing a strong resistance in themselves which, if processed properly, served as a fast-acting stimulant that enhanced one’s physical ability and senses.
Wardens carried these around all the time. They were normally restricted from the common villager but, being the Heiress’ son, Roun was able to obtain a few tubes from his mother some years ago.
Sorry I have to use them for this, mom.
Roun felt his head clear up considerably as he stood up. The ground was much steadier under his feet. He could see the entrance marker to the Nionis just a few more hundred meters down the road and made his way there on light feet. Quo followed him cautiously, ears laid back and muscles tensed, no doubt remembering the last time it came there.
But there wasn’t a person in sight. “Enn said she would meet us here. Did they go in already? They should have arrived before us…”
Black dirt rose like dust and clung to the moisture on his boots as he ran over to the black archway and stared up at its lonely figure. As many times as he’d been here, he could never get used to the thin black trees, stretching into the forest ceiling like burnt skeletal arms.
“Quo, can you trace Dae?”
The wolf sniffed and sneezed, raising more black dust.
“I guess you couldn’t, if she travelled the way she usually does.”
Roun glanced back at the road, then at the path leading in. Aside from the soft whistle of the wind through the branches he didn’t hear anything else.
Gritting his teeth, he motioned for the wolf to leave. “I can’t wait for them. Go find Enn and tell her I’m going in to look for Dae. Then go find a warden, any warden you can find.”
Quo whined, reluctant to part. Roun gave the furry head a vigorous rub before sending him off northeast. He hoped the wolf would at least find someone at the Hall. Unfortunately, based on how empty the forest felt, he doubted Quo would find help any time soon. Where had all the wardens gone?
Sucking in his breath, Roun passed under the archway and ran deeper into the forest of ebony trees. Just as with the Tiuruh and Hakara areas, the main living area of the Nionis was distanced from the main road by a trail. And a lonely trail it was, marked solely by lanterns emitting orange light nailed into the wood on each side of the path. For the next minute, all he could hear was his own breathing and his boots thudding against the parched earth.
It’s too quiet. Beads of sweat formed on his head. The way Shira was hurt even though she doesn’t participate in the Warden’s Exam… the Nionis wanted Dae to react in this way. If that’s the case, they’ve probably set up a trap of some sort. But why does it feel so still?
It was possible that Dae had not launched an offensive yet. In the best-case scenario, he would get Dae out without anything starting. Otherwise… well, he could still talk it out with Huks and try to explain things to the wardens. He hadn’t started this after all.
Speaking of which, Roun knew the south part of the forest to be cold and sinister. Why did it feel like it was getting hotter instead?
At that moment, a flash of orange shone through the trees, followed by the noise of something crashing down.
“That... doesn’t sound good.”
The radiant glow flooded the sky and an arid wind swept from ahead where Roun could see the outline of houses.
“Well... there goes the plan to not start anything.”
* * * * *
Fifteen minutes had passed since Dave left Gran Cera’s house. At first, a sense of urgency had pushed him forward. Perhaps because of the incident with Shira from today as well as the events of the past few days, his body tired out a lot faster than he’d expected.
Dave stopped on the side of the road to lean against a tree. He was out of breath and his body was aching all over.
“I think,” he gasped. “I think I need a new pair of legs.”
The voice piped up brightly, Legs, huh? Let’s see if we can’t do something about that.
“Do you have something?”
Not at the moment.
“You had me hopeful there for a second…”
We shouldn’t dally long here. Who knows when a Warden or a Nioni might come by.
"But... there isn't anyone?" Dave observed his surroundings. Apart from various small creatures hiding in the bushes, he couldn’t sense any other beings around. Even the Main Hall at the top of the hill slumbered.
Come to think of it, his dad said he would be back late, but he never mentioned where he was going. If he were to go by the definition of a ‘village’, then no one was ever too far from the other, right?
Then why did it feel like it took so long to get from place to place? Dave shook his head, wishing he had access to a Birdie. But there weren’t any wardens in sight and without a warden’s permission it was impossible.
Dave took a deep breath to calm himself. Refreshed strength came back to him little by little as he let the cool night air wash over him.
If you don’t get going now, it might be too late when yo-
Wheeeeeeeeeeeen...
Dave gasped. The voice went quiet at the same time they heard a clear whistle. Holding his breath, the teen stood straight with wide eyes.
“It’s that sound!”
The same sound that he heard in the backyard and during training. Distracting thoughts and activities out of the way, he could hear it clearly.
It’s coming from ahead.
Dave pursued the ringing noise. It lead him straight along the road untilt a red archway appeared to the left. When Dave stopped in front of it, the whistling came clearly from the area beyond. Brown trees with white leaves lined the well-maintained path.
“This is the Hakara’s area.”
Didn’t they say they would help Roun?
Dave frowned uneasily. He left the main road and passed under the archway.
Hey hey, what are you doing?
“You know what happens whenever that noise starts.”
It was a sound that heralded bad tidings. Was it a coincidence it was occurring the same time the Tiuruhs were in a state of confusion? Or was this a double strike like last time?
Again, he was crossing over the many meandering streams. This time, Dave had no time to admire the bioluminescent water plants. He kept his eyes ahead, trying to get a glimpse of the shining lake. Was it because it was dusk that it seemed much darker than before?
The whistling continued to get louder. Sometimes holding a tone, sometimes fluctuating. But it didn’t disappear.
He listened harder. At the training grounds, he’d thought he was imagining words, but it seemed he hadn’t been mistaken. Whispers of someone’s voice entered his ears with the sound.
...through… noticed… holding on…
Like a bad radio signal, Dave couldn’t grasp everything, but little parts deciphered themselves.
The next moment, his lips parted in shock. His steps faltered and he stopped as his eyes looked up in front of him.
“What… is that?”
Oh my.
The path came to an end. But instead of the glimmering water surface, the road was clipped short by the presence of darkness. All of the lights Dave expected to see were gone.
“Where is the lake?”
It wasn’t that the water had dried up, or that all the plants in the lake were dead. Rather, the whole forest from one point on was hidden from sight by a void. It was like a sheet of paper of the darkest shade had been placed before his eyes. Or in this case, a wall of pure black blocked the road, stretching without end to the side and into the sky.
The wall gave off a cold wave of air, similar to that of a freezer. Apart from that, Dave couldn’t understand what he was seeing. Goosebumps rose on his arms.
Ha.
Haha!
Hahaha! I can’t believe it. The cackling of the voice suddenly rang through his head.
Dave broke from his trance. “What is this?”
A little trick, like all the other tricks the Nionis have played so far. Don’t touch it, The voice snapped when Dave reached towards it. You’ll alert whoever’s casting it.
“How do you know about this?”
Hm? Something like this is easier than thinking. But focus. Right now, this wall is an obstacle. We need to take it down. Find the one putting it up. Go towards the sound.
Dave followed the directions and headed right alongside the wall. It continued straight as far as the eye could see, passing through tree trunks and branches. At a closer look, even though it was pitch black, the wall seemed to squirm and pulsate, forming an uneven surface.
The whistling filled his ears like an annoying siren now. Dave splashed through brooks, trampled on the little plants, and clambered over ornamental rocks, his ear honing in on it.
We could also overpower it. But you’re not capable of doing that right now. The voice continued talking in an analyzing manner. Their power levels are weak, but their output is large. I’d like to know who taught them this.
Dave struggled to focus between moving quickly and listening. It was strange how increasingly talkative his unknown companion was becoming.
Once you find them, target the user. The wall should come down once you break their concentration. The voice broke off in sinister chuckles. If my circumstances were better, I might have liked to increase their potential...
“What are you talking about?” Power? Output? User?
Dave grew only more confused the more the voice rambled on. Unlike before, the wordy intelligence it was expressing was alarming him. If the madness that Warden Eono contracted happened to him…
It couldn’t hear his thoughts, but it must’ve sensed his worries.
I’ll teach you how to do it, the wall.
“Huh?”
Only if you want.
Dave paused at a stream before jumping over it. “Okay.”
Heads’ up.
The whistling now was deafening and sounding more like someone’s voice.
Dave looked up. A girl in black sat on a branch, her hands stretched towards the wall and her mouth open. He automatically took out a blade to throw when another figure appeared in front and startled him.
“What - ” Dave skidded to a stop. He’d been so focused on following the sound he hadn’t noticed the presence of the black-clothed boy guarding the base of the tree.
His abrupt appearance made the other yell in surprise. “What the -!”
They wielded their weapons at the same time.
Whoosh!
Tang!
A short sword struck down Dave’s dagger, followed by a stab that he barely dodged. Belatedly, he remembered Roun’s rant about daggers not being strong main weapons and wished he had at least brought a staff.
“Goudi!” The girl sitting in the tree sounded panicked. As if responding to her emotions, the whistling and the wall wavered together.
“Keep focusing, Licist!”
“You guys don’t look like Hakaras,” Dave observed.
You are always a bit late on the uptake, aren’t you?
The sword swinging violently at him verified his guess.
Dave raised his weapon again to block and gasped when the heavy strike sent tingles through his hands to his arms. Fending against a slice aimed for his head knocked him sideways as he failed to get firm footing. The strength behind the strokes astonished him.
Do I retaliate? Do I hit him? Dave flinched with each impact. Goudi steadily pushed him back. The decisiveness in his attacks didn’t let up. A scary feeling pressed upon Dave at that moment. What would happen if I don’t?
Trying to create some distance, Dave jumped back and readied a second blade with his other hand. However, the suddenness of the encounter had thrown his bearings off and he forgot what was behind him.
Watch out!
The warning came too late. Pitch-black darkness rose up front behind. He braced himself but the impact he expected didn’t come. His left shoulder sunk into something soft and cold. A portion of it that brushed his face burned like dry ice. He shuddered.
“Uwah!” Dave tried to pull out, but the black wall gripped him like sticky dough. In his turbulent vision he saw Goudi rushing at him.
It suddenly reminded him at how far the Nionis had gone to cripple the other families. This guy couldn’t be thinking of...
Throw it at the girl! Now!
The voice didn’t lose its head. As always, its orders moved him like a programmed robot.
Dave raised his free right arm. Goudi lunged forward. Just before the point contacted his skin, Dave threw the dagger. He didn’t have to look. The weapon flew like it knew where it was going, aimed with the precision of a string attached to its target.
Licist gasped and broke her form to dodge it. Immediately, the whistling cut off.
With it, the suction on Dave’s shoulder loosened. The blade in Goudi’s hand drew a thin line across his arm as Dave plummeted backwards. The entire sheet of black collapsed without a trace into the ground and the lights of the lake streamed through the air. Everything hidden behind the dark curtain reappeared.
The impact to his head stunned Dave. Not missing the chance, Goudi appeared over him and rammed the tip of the blade through his shoulder.
“Aa-aah!” The sensation of an object puncturing through his skin caught Dave by surprise. A myriad of upsetting emotions washed over him.
The nerve of - !
“Put the wall back up! Put it up!” Goudi yelled urgently.
“I’m trying! I’m trying!” Licist’s voice cracked.
The sword - the sword - Dave grabbed the blade with his bare hands, overcome with the thought that he had to take it out - he had to -
Dave, calm down.
What had he been thinking, rushing in without a plan? It came to him now that he had thought it was going to be easy. Straightforward. He just had to stop the person making the sound. He had stopped her, but actually getting hurt in the process...
He hadn’t expected to be…
There now...
His frenzy was subsiding. Something was odd. The shock from the stab was wearing off. He felt a strange sense of clarity when he realized that the essential part of this moment was missing.
“How the -!”
Goudi reeled back with a fearful gasp. Dave looked at him and saw the expression he should have been wearing instead.
“Cret! You’ve got to be kidding me!” Goudi backed away, his face paling.
Raising his head to see, Dave was met with an unexpected sight. Where there should have been blood, a pattern of dark swirls surrounded the area where the blade punctured. The same markings seeped from his hands where the blade cut them.
Yet he felt no pain. The unpleasant sensations that should have accompanied this weren’t there at all.
Dave yanked the short sword out and the black markings vanished, leaving behind no wound nor scar. He sat up quickly, taking in fast breaths, and looked down at his trembling hands. It was the same result.
Dumbfounded, he looked up and saw shocked expressions on both Nioni children.
Goudi shouted, “How come you have that ability?!”
Dave never got to answer him because a young woman in a bright colourful robe appeared out of the blue and struck the Nioni down. Goudi crumpled to the ground. Licist shrieked and scurried off her perch to run away, only to be surrounded by the other Hakaras.
“Che, we’ve wasted too much time here,” said a cold voice.
After making sure the Nionis were secured, the young woman, daughter of the Hakara Head, turned to Dave.
“Where’s Roun?” Enn demanded.
* * * * *
Even though Roun personally disliked the Nioni Family Area, he had a feeling Dave would have still wanted to see what it looked like.
The main section was a massive clearing, bordered by trees and closed over by a lightless forest ceiling. Very few plants grew in its dark soil. Its open space, unlike the Hakaras, made one feel vulnerable and small.
What few trees that stood in that space were placed distantly from each other and circled by pale wooden houses built in thick ring formations around them. Ash-grey paths wound through the residences in wobbling lines.
The moment the trail ended, Roun stopped.
“Cret.”
A group of Nioni children stood in the middle of the path. Their jet-black attire, ranging from shirt and jeans to fully traditional tunic and robes, fluttered in the sputtering winds like the garments of a grim reaper.
They looked as startled as he was and both sides tensed up, expecting the other to move first.
Fortunately, nothing happened. This was why he’d decided to come through the front door instead of sneaking in like Dae might have done. It made sense to attack someone trespassing on your property in a suspicious manner, but not if they’d come by the conventional method, aka under the archways.
- Hehe…
Small gusts brought little whispers to his ears. A part of him grew cold.
He’d been expecting something different. It didn’t make sense, really. If they’d wanted to set a trap, might as well make it a surprise too.
- He came, he came.
Perhaps that was why he felt all the more unsettled when he realized another thing.
The area should have been lit by orange lanterns.
Roun looked past them.
The forest, previously chilly and dark, was illuminated by the ominous orange light from flames gnawing the top of one of the houses.
Roun had a feeling he would find Dae where the trouble was. “Guess it’s true what they say about the blaze that burns the brightest…” he muttered.
The problem was, had she or the Nionis done it? The crash from before worried him.
Normally, Roun would be alerting the residents of the hazard himself. Judging from the shadow cast faces of said residents in front of him, there was no need. They already knew. And yet no one moved.
But there was something even more strange than that. He should’ve been hearing people making a fuss or working to put it out.
By everyone, he meant - the wardens, the parents, aunties, uncles, or the elderly. No one was sitting on the porches. No light shone in the windows. There was no sign of any adults in the Nioni Family Area. The fact sunk in and he was stunned.
He hadn’t heard anything about this. Sure, he didn’t pay attention to the Nionis in general, but…
“Where is everyone?”
No Enn Hakara or Dae Tiuruh in sight either.
Roun licked his dry lips. The seeds of the Spax Berries had not fully kicked in. He could feel his heart starting to pound again from the short run. He drew in slow breaths, feeling like he was trying to suppress a motor that wanted to shift to a higher gear.
Did I just walk into the Nioni Family Area by myself? Roun thought, My siblings will never live it down if I get lynched by a group of kids…
He didn’t like this. The Nionis were acting strangely. Their auras exuded more than just confidence from having ‘a way to avoid getting caught’, as Enn put it.
The mood was like a young student walking into a classroom only to realize all his classmates were in cahoots against him, or like a hero entering a dungeon full of cackling goblins, or more appropriately, like a mouse that had tumbled into a pit of snakes that eyed it all with the same hungry condescending glare.
No one spoke to him. None of them held a weapon. They just stared. Stared and smiled.
Any other day he might have been unnerved, but he had something he had to get done tonight.
I don’t see Huks. Don’t tell me he’s gone to make himself the final boss?
More figures crept out from the trees behind him. Of the ten or so crowding in, there were barely any children over the age of fourteen, the youngest at least seven years old. That meant they were all younger than he. He considered glumly that no matter which way the potential fight went, it looked bad for him as the oldest and the only armed one.
After determining they weren’t going to attack him, Roun broke the silence awkwardly.
“I hope you and your family are doing well.”
- Haha… -
- ‘Doing well, haha.’ -
The formal greeting caused more giggles to erupt from the group, but they didn’t answer him.
“I’d like to speak with Huks. Is he here?”
- Don’t tell him. -
- Here we go, here we go. -
Roun gritted his teeth and took a step forward. He didn’t have time for this. The line of children flinched, but didn’t budge.
“Is Dae here?”
“Dae?”
One of the children in front of him finally replied. A smile spread across the girl’s face. Roun didn’t recognize her. Had there been this many children in the Nioni family?
- Is she here? Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t.
It was the child beside her that said that, before bursting into laughter. Then the Nioni on the other side of the girl went off as well. Mirth spread to the rest of them until Roun found himself trapped within a ring of laughter.
A chill ran down his back. His face darkened and his eyes trembled.
Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Badumbadumbadum.
Without warning, pain came back to his lungs as his pulse spiked. Roun desperately struggled to keep his breathing steady, to hide any weaknesses.
Fortunately, they seemed not to have noticed, caught up in their little game, because the next moment, the girl yelled out.
- Why don’t you come and find her?
- Come and get!
- Hahaha!
With that declaration, they scattered like a flock of birds.
“Hey, wait!” Roun blurted hoarsely. Dark liquid dripped from his mouth.
Smash!
Light flashed from above. Another flame leaped to life on the already burning building.
Staring up at the collage of dancing shadows and rustling fire, Roun was reminded of a previous time where the world seemed to be burning. There hadn’t been anyone to help him back then, and there wasn’t anyone now. At that time, he had run ahead anyway. And now, there wasn’t anyone telling him not to go. Wiping his mouth, he broke into a sprint and headed towards the fire.
The path led him past the houses with shaded windows towards the middle of the area. The temperature rose every second and a hazy film permeated the air. Roun covered his mouth with a cloth mask, pushing forward while tears stung his eyes. Soon, he arrived at the place covered in the most smoke where a familiar figure stood in the doorway.
“Huks!” Roun choked. The taste of blood cascaded off his tongue. He’d taken many pills to stop this reaction from happening. Why weren’t they working?
Huks saw him, shot a smirk in his direction, and ran away. Before he disappeared behind the houses, his hand slid across the door posts, leaving two clear lines in the wood. Huks had been blocking the entryway. Now he was gone, another figure became visible.
Dae sat inside the building filling up with smoke. A post across her legs trapped her.
Another bright flare lit up the sky. Fire crept down the timber supports at an alarming pace. It was obvious what would happen at this rate.
“Are you serious?”
When Roun had considered the possibility of a trap, he’d almost been hoping for something more elaborate, like what they did in the Tiuruh area. Falling trees, hostile animals, and poisonous berries included. He wanted to see what tricks they were really carrying up their sleeves.
This method was so straightforward Roun wanted to smack himself with a facepalm. Did the fact that he knew he was walking into it even make it a trap?
He could almost see Huks’ train of thought when devising their plan of action. Roun’s younger sister could have cooked this up.
For his side of things, Roun could blame this on poor preparation. On the fact he’d done nothing to stop Huks before this. On not prioritizing the right things. This was why Dae would never stop chewing him out about his lack of initiative. At the end of the day...
Roun slid through the doorway just as falling debris crashed to the ground behind him. He didn’t miss spotting the small cuts left by Huks on the door posts. Just as he thought those wouldn't be enough to break it...
The door way split horizontally in half the moment he entered, as if set off by a trigger. He rolled towards Dae and shielded her from falling bits of splintering wood as the front of the room caved in. A muted glow from outside was the only light in the smoky haze.
He didn’t stop to think how irregular things were playing out. Everything was getting hotter. His body was growing heavier. Quickly, he worked on pulling the post off Dae’s body while the boards above them creaked dangerously.
The archer’s eyes were closed and she wasn’t moving. How much smoke had she breathed already?
“Dae! Wake up!” Roun strained to lift the wood. A pang throbbed in his chest and he nearly dropped it. Then in a sudden heave, he threw it aside.
A wave of nausea hit him. Roun ripped off his mask to let blood pour out of his mouth. He dropped to his knees beside Dae and shook her shoulders. With surprise, he saw they'd tied her ankles together and her wrists to a wooden support.
“Huks, you are really -” Roun coughed violently. He pulled out a knife and started cutting the rope around her wrists. How had she managed to get like this?
In the corner of his eye he saw little flames crawling down the walls.
"Dae - we have to get out -” Roun freed her wrists and started to put her over his shoulder.
As if the building was cursed to act against his intentions, something above them snapped. Roun looked up to see a beam dipping towards him and shot to his feet to catch it. The weight fixed him to the spot. He felt if he moved, either he or the ceiling would break. Other fractures began riddling the boards in streaks.
"What the cre..." Dropped on the floor, Dae awoke with racking coughs. She winced as she tried to move and found her feet bound.
"The knife," Roun wheezed. His legs threatened to buckle. "You have to get out!"
A crash from the floor above brought Dae to her senses. She grabbed the fallen knife and wrestled weakly with the ropes restricting her ankles. It was sluggish work against the suffocating temperatures beating upon them. She still managed a strained, “Don’t you dare - let that go.”
“Just - hurry -” he couldn’t even form the words or see properly. When he opened his eyes, they stung and his vision swam.
The wood made a dangerous cracking noise. His muscles felt like metal strings about to snap. It took him everything he had to keep it from toppling on Dae. He couldn’t see an opening they could safely get through. Was this how it was going to go down? Thoughts clustered in his mind, denying the incoming fate.
He should have listened to Dae. He should have done something before this. Again, he’d failed as the Heiress’ Son. Failed as a warrior. Failed as an Acor…
Nevermind trying to pass the exam. What was the point when the families were literally at each other’s throats? When did it become so important to be better than others?
No wonder the Nanrot had left the Acor alone for so long. May as well leave them to destroy themselves, right?
Bitter thought after bitter thought welled up.
Mom…
Fear clutched at Roun. Then sadness.
I still haven’t repaid you for everything.
Then anger. Then disgust.
Then hopelessness. Then hatred.
Then…
A harsh laugh broke apart his lips.
“Dae,” Roun’s voice cracked as he yelled.
“What?” Dae snapped back.
Roun shouted over crackling sounds overhead. “I’m sorry for letting you all down."
“This is not the time to be spitting out sentimental -” Dae cut through the rope and staggered to her feet.
Another hunk of wood crashed to the ground near them.
“I’m also sorry for being such a letdown.”
“Do - your self-reflection - afterwards...” Dae was staring at him wildly, her eyes probably drawn to the blood streaming from his mouth.
“I’m also sorry,” Roun croaked out, “if I let this down!”
"Roun!" Dae reached out to him.
Craa-aaack!
The sound of collapsing supports exploded in their ears. Unable to keep itself up, the ceiling broke apart and two stories of wood and fire rained down on them.
Notes to self below. I'm keeping these here because I have a poor memory for little details. Avoid reading if you want to be spared details c:
NTS: Previous Version Notes and Revisions
Chapter 20 --
Version 1:
1. Quo/Ayay (I forget which one) - Their report of seeing Dae is actually false.
2.. Dae - Reconsiders her actions and doesn't actually go to the Nionis. She tells Nuyori about the Nionis, resulting in Nuyori leaving right away.
3. Dave - Chasing after run. Conversation with voice.
4. Roun - Meets up with Enn Hakara. Confronts Nionis. After a few words of exchange, someone from Roun's group attacks the Nionis first, resulting in a fight. Roun finds Huks who starts revealing his hand.
Version 2:
1. Shira - Boldly steps out to confront intruder. Fight ensues. Felt too OOC.
2. Dave - Encounters a false Dae. Fights them and exposes their identity, witnessing one of the "tricks".
3. Roun - Fails to meet up with Hakaras. Finds the entire Nioni Area on Fire. Villagers are in chaos. Fights his way through a burning building to save Dae before it falls on them. 2x more dramatic than current version.
Version 3 (current):
1. Shira - Realizes the intruder is a fake. Hesitation whether or not to fight (more in character). Trick 1.
2. Dave - Feels something wrong with the Hakara area. Encounters Nionis. Trick 2-3.
3. Roun - Fails to meet with Hakaras. Encounters Nionis. Finds Dae. Trick 4.
Reminders:
- More scenes for Wardens and Chief
- Shira's throat hurts and she can't speak
- Dave's voice is getting more talkative
- Roun's condition is worsening
Topic: Charred Life (Rewritten) (Read 16086 times)
