I walk warily through the maze, looking out for anims. I have to be prepared to fight them, and I need their bones to climb back onto the walls. Some time passes by without encounters, while I try to not lose track of my location... my shoulder hurts a lot and gives me a big disadvantage. In the middle of the day, I encounter a lensel. It attempts to get me from above, dodging my first strike, and it's limbs fly out around me to catch me. It's a difficult scuffle but at the end I overcome it, bringing it to the ground. I try to stack the dead lensel with the other skins, and step onto the pile, reaching up for the wall. It's a small length too far... but as I reach up, I realise something else, with this hurt shoulder I won't be able to pull myself up... I will either need to make a pile tall enough that I can get my knee up, or try to find my way through the maze, or wait for it to heal... my bad luck doesn't end...
I don't want to carry all this weight around, so I end up making a camp here and staying there. I would rather wait for anims to come to me, so I can kill them, while letting my shoulder rest. My skins are stained with blood... I'm not in good shape at all.
I stay in the camp a few days. I manage to bring down some anims that attack me, but the pile still isn't high enough. I keep holding out hope, trying to get through this terrible time, my family is waiting at home and I must return....
Suddenly I see a black movement down the passage. I hold my blade, turning towards it, but I see it is Gatyk. I go to embrace him.
"What luck I have found you. Your family has been so afraid." he says.
"I am sorry. I went out too carelessly. But Bansel... has he returned?"
Gatyk's expression looks grave. "He has... but... you must return at once."
I frown, and quickly follow Gatyk as he guides me back home. "What happened?"
"He wished to prove to you that he could take care of himself. He snuck out to hunt without you knowing it, as you know. But he returned at the end of the day to show that he had killed an anim. Arbella scolded him severely... and at this time, you had still not returned. The following days we all feared that you had died. And Bansel... he thought that his actions had lead to your death."
"I should not have chased him... what bad luck has fallen over us... fortunately, I will come home now." I say.
"I am sorry," Gatyk says. "but he has left again. He waited until night and ran away. Arbella was unable to chase him because she is carrying. She woke me up to follow him, but it was too late. He must have felt so guilty about possibly being the reason for your death. I do not know where he is."
"He is gone again?" My skin feels cold. Where is he now? When will he return? Surely he won't run away forever...
I see the skins covering the entrance of my home, a small consolation. We enter the yard. Arbella runs to embrace me. "Armun... we thought you may have been..."
"Do not worry... I will not die." I say. "Is Bansel still gone?"
"Yes... he ran away again... it is terrible, how can we make him come home?"
"We must keep searching for him. I will find him, do not worry."
"Not now." Gatyk says. "You are too hurt."
"Be careful... do not get lost again..." Arbella says.
I sigh. They are right... my shoulder must recover before I can do anything again.. I can only hope that Bansel will come home himself. He cannot stay out there forever...
I lie down inside the home as I wait to recover. The air is heavy with concern... Dinna looks out sadly at the walls. One evening, she sits out with Avu.
"Come inside, it will get dark now." Arbella says.
"I am coming..." Dinna says, as Arbella comes back inside.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDciuDbImgr
We are preparing for the night... but some moments go by, and Dinna hasn't come. "Come inside now." I call out, but I don't hear her respond. I quickly get up, going into the yard... it's empty, she isn't there. "Dinna!!" I yell out. I run out into the maze. "Where are you? Answer me!!" I yell. I have to stop within a certain distance, as not to get lost again. "Dinna, come here now!!"
"Banseeelll!!" I hear her voice yell far in the distance. Is she going out to look for him?
"Dinna, come back now!! You will get hurt and lost!!! Come back!!" I yell at the top of my lungs. I can't go any further, I can't risk getting lost again... I run back, and I, Filiny and Gatyk get up on the wall, carrying many naia crystals. We walk on the wall, following Dinna and leaving crystals in our trail so we can find our way back, continuing to chase her.. but no matter how far we go, we can't find her, and it's soon dark. Once we have run out of crystals, we are forced to return. I stare into the darkness for a little longer, calling out her name. My son and daughter, both run away... I may never see them again...
"We will continue searching tomorrow..." Gatyk says. "We will not find them in this darkness."
Feeling impossibly heavy, I return home. The room is very silent as I sit with Arbella. I see tears fall down her face. I must hope... I cannot bear not to... they will come home.
"Where Dimma?" Ellei asks.
"She will be back." Arbella mutters.
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