I gasp for air, jolting awake from the nightmare.
"What a shitty dream." I clutch my chest, trying to calm my racing heart.
"Wait? I lived?"
I look around. It is evening.
I try to stand up, but something feels strange. I am covered in a fine white powder. My right hand—the one that got shot—is wrapped in cloth.
"Who... no, when did this happen?"
The small injuries on my body, the cuts and scratches, are almost fully healed.
I try to move. A mild pain shoots through my ribs. "Aah."
I clutch my side. I look at the spot where the fight ended. There is no dead body. The Old Man is gone.
Did he escape? Or...
I scan the area. Drag marks lead from the base of the tree into the bushes.
"Should I run away or follow that?" I mumble, struggling to decide.
Before I can move, the bush rustles.
Something jumps out at me.
Attack?
Instinct takes over. I throw a punch.
My fist stops inches away from a small face.
It's the child from the camp.
"Ah, what happened?" I ask, lowering my hand. I place it gently on her head and pat her.
We had gotten closer over the last few days, ever since I started teaching her games.
I slowly bend down on one knee. She is crying.
What should I do? I don't know how to comfort a crying child.
Panic sets in. I awkwardly move my hand to wipe her tears.
"Thenk gud—yua lovi, o thuagh a doi," she tries to speak so quickly that she ends up biting her tongue.
"Ull," she whimpers, holding a hand to her mouth.
"It's okay," I say, gesturing for her to calm down.
After a few minutes, her breathing steadies.
"What happened?" I gesture to her. Then I point at myself, and then at the white dust covering me. "Why... am... I... covered in... this?"
She tries to speak, but realizes I won't understand. She stands up and points to the bushes, signaling for me to follow.
We walk behind the bushes.
There, hidden in the brush, are the dead bodies of the Old Man.
Seeing my confusion, she starts acting out what happened.
[Child's POV]
A few hours earlier...
"What should I do?" I whisper.
Nyoko's health is diminishing day by day.
"Has he caught an illness?" I put my hand on his forehead, trying to comfort him.
"Hun... gry," Nyoko whimpers. He is shivering. His fur is rough—much rougher than mine. Unlike him, I have been allowed to roam around ever since that Weird Guy was caught.
"Wait only some more time, Nyo. The food is being prepared," I lie to him.
The truth is, none of the captors are here except the Mage. They have been gone for hours. Including the Weird Guy.
I wonder what happened to him.
I hope he is fine.
I pray to the Goddess as I stand back up and make my way to the gate.
I step out and walk toward the Mage. He is meditating on a rock in the distance.
"When will we get food?" I ask, standing far away.
"You will get your food when the others arrive," he answers without opening his eyes.
"But... my brother is hungry," I press, stepping a few bits (inches) closer.
"I said... you will get your food when the others arrive. Do not waste my time. And do not get any closer if you don't want to die."
His staff starts vibrating. Mana begins to revolve around him, crackling in the air.
"Okay," I squeak. I quickly run off.
Getting close to the jail cell, I see Nyoko struggling.
If they are not going to feed me, I will catch something myself.
I slip into the forest without the Mage realizing.
Making a few skits (meters) into the woods, I find a small rabbit.
Slowly, I stalk it. Just when I am about to pounce, a loud noise echoes nearby. The rabbit bolts.
Curious, I decide to investigate.
I peek through the trees.
I see the Weird Guy. He is being dragged by the Old Man. He is covered in blood.
I want to help, but my feet are frozen in fear.
I watch as the Weird Guy gets stomped on. Spat on. As the Old Man stands over him, I look away. I try not to think about the man who I had grown attached to.
He is about to be killed.
I close my eyes. Our lives will become worse like before.
Then, I hear a scream. But it isn't the Weird Guy's voice.
I open my eyes.
The Old Man is screaming. The Weird Guy has cut his ankle!
The Old Man tries to kick him away but gets his foot pierced by a knife.
He falls down. He starts attacking with his hands, crawling backward in panic.
The Weird Guy stands up. Despite being so injured, despite the blood, he picks up his spear and follows the Old Man.
The Old Man reaches into his pocket and throws a blue powder.
A blue cloud engulfs the Weird Guy. As he steps out of it, he starts looking left and right, reacting to things that aren't there.
I follow his gaze. I see a parrot and a donkey appear on either side of him.
My fear fades slightly. I creep closer to the action.
Weirdly, the guy ignores the animals. He walks straight toward the Old Man, who is now frantically covering himself with a white powder.
Is that Edrélie powder? I wonder. How does he have that? And so much of it?
While I watch, the Weird Guy drives his spear into the Old Man's neck.
The parrot and donkey charge at him, only to vanish into thin air. Their real forms—a dead parrot and a donkey—appear on the ground and begin rotting within minutes.
The Weird Guy falls backward.
I run to him.
He is unconscious. I need to treat him.
I take the pouch of white powder from the Old Man's body. I confirm it is Edrélie powder by sprinkling a little on the guy's small cuts. They start healing instantly.
I drench him in the powder. I use the other supplies the Old Man had—healing liquids and bandages—to treat his arrow wound.
After spending a long time patching him up, I decide to move the bodies. If I leave them here, they might attract large beasts.
First, I move the parrot. Then the monkey.
Then, over the course of several inutes (minutes), I drag the Old Man's heavy body into the bushes.
I come out of the bushes, wiping my hands.
The Weird Guy is awake. He is standing there, looking confused.
For some reason, I can't contain myself. I jump at him. I hug him. And I start crying.
I don't know why I am crying.
Maybe because I was tired. Maybe because he lived.
Or was it because he was nice to me? He gave me and Nyoko his food. He allowed me freedom even though he was beaten for it.
Maybe... it is just because someone I could finally rely on has appeared for the first time since the death of our parents.