Lydus exited through the main entrance of the ridge, where the mountains split and opened up toward the wilderness beyond the kingdom. The area was still wrapped in darkness, the sun not yet high enough to touch this side of the mountain.
He nodded at the guard on post, who walked over and pressed a hand against Lydus’s chest, halting his movement. “Come on, Lydus. You know the rule—no leaving before sunrise,” the man said, his tight, undersized outfit stretched at the seams, a simple dagger sheathed at his waist.
“Adira approved it,” Lydus replied with a tired sigh. “We’re going for an early hunt.” He shot the man a knowing look. “Come on, Bodo.”
Bodo scratched at his white beard, clearly skeptical. “I could get in trouble for this.”
Lydus clapped both hands onto Bodo’s shoulders, leaning in. “When we come back with venison, rabbit... you’ll be in heaven. All that juicy meat, fresh off the fire.”
Bodo grunted and, with a shove, pushed Lydus forward. “Go on before I change my mind.”
With a smirk, Lydus jogged ahead, but soon came to a sharp incline where the flat terrain dropped steeply. Without hesitation, he sat down, feet forward, and slid down the dirt slope, dust kicking up as he descended rapidly. When he reached flatter ground, he slowed to a walk, the trees gradually thickening around him as he ventured farther from the ridge. The descent from the mountain always took a while, even though the entrance was only partway up.
The wind battered him hard, forcing him to slow his pace. It felt unusually fierce this morning, almost as if a storm were brewing. Then, in the distance, a flicker of torchlight caught his eye.
Everett, he thought.
“Hey!” Lydus called out, waving his hand as he moved closer. The figure in the distance became clearer, and sure enough, it was Everett, his hand clasped over his face in irritation.
“Fucking idiot,” Everett muttered under his breath, loud enough for Lydus to hear. “Don’t be so loud.”
Next to him, Arawn leaned casually against a tree, his light blonde hair catching the faint light, his black coat long and black, “He’s just excited,” Arawn said, tilting his head slightly. Then, with a raised eyebrow, he asked, “Did Adira really approve this?”
Everett scoffed, “Of course not, and she won’t find out.”
They fell silent as Lydus approached, the wind whipping his hair back. He nodded toward Arawn before turning to Everett. “Only three of us?”
“Matthew’s already in the woods,” Everett replied, kneeling to tighten his bootlaces, his hands working quickly. “He went...?”
“East,” Arawn interjected.
“Right,” Everett responded as he finished tying his boot and stood up. The faint smell of something sour wafted about in the air, but none of them paid it much attention—it could have been a dead animal or something from a nearby stream. Common enough out here.
“You and Arawn will head west. I’ll take the south,” Everett said, brushing dirt from his knees. “No more than 3,000 yards. Got it?” He glanced at Lydus, waiting for a confirming nod before moving on. He didn’t even check if Arawn responded, as if Lydus was the only one he needed to keep in line.
“Good. Now go. Adira’s going to figure out we’re gone soon enough.”
“I thought—” Lydus began, confused.
“She said no more than an hour,” Everett cut him off, the lie slipping easily as he sighed. “Now hurry up.”
Off they went with no further question, shoes hitting the ground with deep thuds as the path beneath them soon turned into nothing but grass and tree roots. Arawn and Lydus stuck together, at least for the moment. The wind began to die down finally, in turn quieting the forest. No more rustling of the leaves, perched upon the towering trees that stretched toward the sky, as if yearning to touch it.
“Everett still seems to hate you.” Arawn broke the silence. He spoke with the clarity of someone educated, his voice middle-pitched, “Couldn’t imagine why.” He winked.
“Honestly... I have no clue.” Lydus admitted, “We have, mostly, the same views. He’s just...”
“Ah...” Arawn responded with a quick nod, “At least he’s trying. Everett doesn’t like to be complacent with things. He also doesn’t like smartasses, so...”
“I’m not a smartass.” Lydus gave him a look, “It’s called not taking yourself so seriously.”
“Has anyone found it funny?” Arawn made a face, realizing how that sounded, “In a nice way, I mean.”
“Emmelia.”
“Well.” Arawn laughed, “You’re both hiding behind it.”
“What does that even mean?” Lydus muttered, tilting his head in confusion. But before he could get any sort of answer, his attention was pulled elsewhere. His sharp eyes caught sight of tracks in the dirt, and he immediately knelt down to examine them.
“Looks like deer,” he said, running a hand lightly over the indentations. The tracks were fresh, the soil still soft where the hooves had pressed into the earth.
Arawn crouched beside him, glancing down at the tracks. "Heading west, too. Could be a good sign."
Lydus nodded, slowly standing up. “Guess we follow.”
The two began following the tracks which eventually veered off into a deeper part of the forest. They squeezed their way through foliage, closely packed trees, and maneuvered over rocks. One bad fall and pop goes your head. Blood splattering everywhere like a treading waterfall.
After hearing nearby movement, Lydus began to meander, making sure his steps were quiet. The sun had now shone over this part of the forest, high enough in the sky to overcome the mountain to their side. Its golden rays bathed everything in a pale light that was almost surreal.
Through the partings of two trees, they spotted it. A deer, stout and well-fed, with its head dunked into a small body of water. The sun reflected from its shiny brown coat in a way that rippled against the water’s surface.
“All yours.” Arawn whispered.
Lydus nodded with a small breath, moving the bow from across his chest and firmly grasping it, his fingers curling around it as if for dear life. He reached back, sliding an arrow from the quiver, then pulling it against the string, shifting to the right for a better view. The bowstring made a slight whirring sound as it tightened.
The deer lifted its head, sensing something wrong, then froze in place. Lydus found it amusing why they did that—its ears perked up, straining to listen. Perfect. He let go. The arrow sliced through the air with a sharp snap of the string, striking just below the deer’s neck. With a startled squeal, it bolted, and the movement of other deer nearby told him they had joined in a frantic escape.
Emerging from the foliage, Lydus barely noticed the thorns digging into his skin. Gritting his teeth, he began following the trail of blood. “It won’t make it far without dropping,” he murmured.
Arawn glanced up, mouth opening in disbelief, “Well... It certainly didn’t.”
“What do you...?” As Lydus followed his gaze, he saw it. A long river. Not fast moving, but thick, the deer lying on the other side with a shaking frame. A bridge stood half collapsed in front of them. Its old, withered wood washed against a rock in the water below, “How the hell did it get across?”
Arawn scanned the area, using one hand to brush his blonde hair out of his dark eyes. “Those rocks,” he nodded toward a set of stones, perfectly aligned to cross the river.
Lydus groaned, “Ugh, I don’t want to get wet.” A sly smile crept onto his face as he glanced at Arawn. “Can’t you, you know… do the thing?”
Arawn hesitated, starting to protest. “I don’t…” But with little resistance, he sighed and relented. “Alright, let’s do it.”
Lydus’s grin widened. “Hell yeah.” He took a step back, watching with eagerly.
Arawn stretched out his arm, his fingers stiffening as yellow flickers of energy began to crackle across his skin, like tiny bolts of electricity. The collapsed wood of the old bridge nearby began to tremble, pieces shifting and creaking as if waking from a long sleep. Within moments, the fibers of the decayed material seemed to stitch themselves back together. Broken planks rejoined, and the ropes tightened, bringing the bridge back to its former, sturdy state, as though it had never fallen into disrepair.
When the task was finished, Arawn let his arm drop, exhaling deeply, the strain showing on his face.
Lydus nudged him lightly. “I thought you Masavorans were strong.” The word slipped off his tongue casually, though he barely knew what it truly meant, or the history that preceded it.
Arawn gave him a sidelong glance, his expression unreadable. "We are," he said, but there was something deeper in his voice, one that Lydus picked up on.
“Hit nerve?” He asked.
“Something like that,” Arawn said, his tone unusually solemn. He then placed a foot on the newly restored bridge, his mood quickly lightening as he added, “Let’s see if my hard, laborious handiwork holds up.” He took another step, the wood groaning beneath his weight. He made a comically unsure face but kept moving.
After Arawn made it across, Lydus stepped onto the bridge himself. The wood felt oddly mushy under his feet, as if it hadn’t fully recovered from its years of decay, even with the magic repair. The water below rushed by, causing the bridge to sway slightly. But after a few careful steps, Lydus reached the other side.
"Not bad," Lydus said, glancing back at the bridge, still a little unsure of its stability.
The two approached the deer, which lay flat on its side, struggling for breath. Lydus grasped the arrow lodged just below its neck, its shaft slick with blood. As he pulled it out, the animal flinched, its legs kicking weakly in a desperate, futile attempt to escape. Its once-pristine fur was now soaked with blood, and it let out a pained cry.
Lydus hovered an arrow over the deer's head. The animal, as if sensing its impending fate, gazed up with fear-filled, beady black eyes. For a moment, it seemed frozen, resigned to what was coming.
Without hesitation, Lydus plunged the blade into the deer's skull. The animal’s body convulsed, twitching violently, but within moments, it went limp, blood pooling from the fresh wound. Lydus stood over it, his breath steadying.
“You seemed almost reluctant.” Arawn said with a quick, unhumorous laugh.
Lydus’s lips went flat, and he shrugged, “Killing something always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.” His eyes met Arawn’s, “But...it’s all part of nature.” With that, he pulled the arrow out, blood splattering on his arms. It was warm, almost disgusting, but the man did not flinch.
“Better get this back quickly.” Arawn sighed.
Lydus nodded, wiping the blood from his arm, but something caught his attention. It wasn’t something he could see, not exactly. It was more like a presence just beyond the trees. His brow furrowed, eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of it.
“Lydus?” Arawn's voice cut through the silence, and he placed a hand on Lydus’s shoulder. He followed his gaze into the dense forest.
“Do you…” Lydus started, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Do you see that?”
“See what?” Arawn replied, voice now uneasy.
Lydus didn’t answer. Instead, he moved forward, pace slow. His footsteps barely made a sound as he pushed through branches and thorns, his movements driven by an invisible pull. It was as if his very life depended on finding the source of this feeling.
“Don’t go that way!” Arawn stepped in front of Lydus, his tone abruptly. “We have to go back, Lydus.”
Lydus’s eyes darted around the forest, searching for something he couldn’t quite explain, before they landed back on Arawn. “Yeah... we will... I just... yeah.” His voice trailed off, unsure.
Arawn’s expression softened slightly, and he nodded quietly. “Good—come on. We don’t want Everett chewing our heads off,” he said with a half-smile, brushing past him.
But as Arawn turned away, Lydus seized the moment. Ignoring the warning, he pushed forward, breaking through the last bit of brush and into an open clearing. His eyes widened, breath catching in his throat.
“Lydus—Lydus!” Arawn's voice called out in alarm, but could no longer hear him.
Standing before them was a massive stone, unlike anything he had ever seen. It was a deep, almost black shade of gray, and yet the surface was smooth, polished to perfection. The stone's jagged peaks stretched high, reaching as tall as the surrounding trees. What caught his attention most, though, were the strange symbols and runes etched into its surface. They were foreign, evidently old, and lost on him. Not even sure what kind of language or culture it was
Around the monolith, the ground formed a perfect circle of bare dirt, grass conspicuously absent, as though nature itself refused to grow near the stone.
Lydus, as if controlled by unseen strings, moved forward, his hand stretching out toward the towering stone. The world around him started to blur and twist, sounds becoming warped, distant echoes of what they once were. Everything turned into a fuzzy, incomprehensible mess—except the stone. The monolith remained sharp and clear in his vision.
From the tree line, Arawn watched in silence, no longer trying to stop him. His expression was unreadable, but there was a sense of anticipation in the way he stood, almost as if this moment had been inevitable. As if, despite his earlier protests, he knew Lydus would eventually find this—and that it was something big. Excitement swaying in his eyes.
Lydus's fingertips brushed the surface of the stone, and it felt unexpectedly warm. No—hot, as though something burned beneath the smooth exterior, pulsating like a living thing. His hand stayed there, mesmerized by the heat and energy radiating from it.
“Find us…” an impossibly faint voice whispered, slipping into his mind. “Find us, Lydus... soon.”
The sensation became unbearable, the stone searing against his hand as though it had turned molten. Lydus grunted, his body reacting instinctively. He ripped his hand away, stumbling backward and collapsing to the ground. The trance shattered, and the world snapped back into focus—the sights, the sounds, his thoughts. Everything rushed back in a dizzying wave.
"What... what the fuck?" Lydus muttered, breathing heavily as he stared at the stone, his heart pounding in his chest. He glanced toward Arawn, bewildered, as if searching for answers.
Arawn crouched beside him, his mouth still open in surprise. Moments passed before he broke the silence. “What did they say to you?” His demeanor shifted from familiarity to something more curious.
“I...I don’t know. They wanted me to...”
“Find them?” Arawn tilted his head, an eyebrow raised.
“How did you...?”
A yell in the distance interrupted them—it was Everett, calling for them to return. The two exchanged a glance before Lydus scrambled to his feet. They rushed back to the deer, each grabbing an end and heaving it upward to carry it.
They moved quickly, retracing their steps back across the bridge. The deer carcass weighed heavily between them, but their pace never slowed. Lydus barely had time to process what had just happened. The image of the dark stone and the voice that had whispered to him lingered in his mind. What the hell was that stone? he wondered, glancing sideways at Arawn. And how did he know about it?
A sense of unease settled in Lydus’s gut. Whatever the stone was, it didn't feel right. A part of him wanted to stay far away from it, as though nothing good could ever come from that place. His thoughts raced, but as they neared Everett, who stood in the distance with another man, Lydus pushed those concerns aside. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.
“What’s wrong?” Lydus asked, noticing Everett’s tense posture—hand pressed against his forehead, brows furrowed. He and Arawn set the deer down momentarily.
Everett held a blood-soaked bag in his hand. Peering inside, Lydus saw it was full of rabbits—a solid haul. So why had they stopped so soon? It didn’t add up.
“Spotted someone,” Everett said in a low voice. “Looked like a soldier from the kingdom—”
“It was,” Matthew interrupted, striding over from the left. His long, frizzy dirty-blonde hair was tied back, but his loud voice and over-the-top gestures filled the space. “Those genocide-loving freaks will be crawling all over us.”
Everett, clearly irritated, shoved the bag of rabbits into Matthew’s hands. “No... they won’t. We scared him off. They won’t follow us back.”
“Fuck...” Lydus muttered, running a hand through his hair, not even noticing as he smeared blood into it. “This is bad. Worse than losing my virginity—this is... fuck!” His voice echoed through the trees, rising in panic.
Everett immediately grabbed the edge of Lydus’s armor and yanked him closer. “Keep your voice down.” After a tense moment, he smacked the back of Lydus’s head.
“Asshole,” Lydus muttered, his temper flaring, but before he could say anything more, Arawn raised a hand to silence him.
“It doesn’t matter,” Arawn said quickly. “If we don’t head back soon, Adira will find out.”
So *she* doesn’t know, Lydus thought, his mind racing. They’d kept this from him, but why? He wasn’t the type to rat anyone out.
“She’ll be up by now, checking on us,” Lydus muttered under his breath. “And she’ll be bitching at us as usual...”
Lydus suddenly turned to Arawn, his eyes lighting up with an idea. “What about the other entrance?”
“Other—what other entrance?” Matthew stammered, looking confused.
Arawn hesitated, exhaling sharply. “Not right now.”
“Why not?” Lydus pressed.
“I’m too weak at the moment—it’ll take too much energy to open it,” Arawn admitted, his voice tinged with embarrassment. The weight of using his powers clearly cost him more than he let on.
Everett, sensing the need to take control of the situation, spoke up, louder this time. “We’ll have to take the main entrance. Unfortunately, that means Adira will find out what we did. We’ll just have to deal with her shit, but once she sees what we caught in under an hour, she’ll calm down.”
Lydus shook his head. “You can’t be serious.”
Everett sighed. “Yeah, no. We’re totally fucked.” His tone was resigned, but he added with a hint of defiance, “Either way, she doesn’t control us. Now, pick up that deer.” He pointed at the carcass. “Let’s get going.”
Reluctantly, Lydus and Arawn grabbed the deer again, the weight heavy in their arms. Its fur still held warmth, almost comforting against the cold wind. Matt hoisted the bag of rabbits over his shoulder, trying to help distribute the load.
“Oh,” Everett said, turning back to them with a pointed look, “and don’t mention the soldier.”
ns 15.158.61.54da2
