The march was long, stony, and silent. Few words were exchanged during the trudge, but the glances Keldon received spoke loud and clear.

  Keldon dragged his feet through the soil, only stopping for a moment to rub the newly formed red blisters on his ankles. Looking down at his pants, he stroked his hand over a tear the size of a pinky he had probably gotten tumbling down the side of the Hissings, hoping that it would magically stitch itself back together. To his complete and utter surprise. It didn’t.

  “*sigh*… and I just got Mrs.Maithier to mend these the other week too.” He said

  “*ahem*”

  Keldon looked behind him to see the group of recruits had caught up to him while he had fruitlessly tried to rub out the tear.

  “Right. Sorry. This way.” Keldon said as he marched ahead of the group.

  It had been just under an hour since the group had started marching away from the Hissings. The greater the distance Keldon and the group put between them and the Hissings, the more life bloomed in this desolate wasteland. Short blades of grass, poked out from the earth as dandelions and heartier plants such as bindweed and thistle blossomed through the dense soil.

  He kept a close eye out for any sign of Aberrants on the way to the sifting site, not wanting to risk lives more than absolutely necessary. However, the only way he’d be able to guarantee that all the new recruits could meet the quota is if they came out to the edges of Deeproot woods.

  Keldon paused, waiting for the group behind him to move forward ahead of him, as he waited for Bertram.

  “Need Somethin’?” Bertram asked, picking out gunks of food from between his teeth.

  “Any sign of Aberrants?’

  “Nothing so far. Might be a good idea to head back early though.”

  “If things turn out well maybe,” Keldon said, stroking his chin.

  “Wellll… maybe we can mosey back even a little earlier. I didn’t stamp out the coals from makin’ mah lunch and I’d hate to come home to a smokey bed,” Bertram said.

  “I suppose. We’d have to make up a little more on tomorrow’s expedition but I’m sure the new recruits wouldn’t mind having a bit of shorter duty. As long as they gather enough Tahlacite dust before the week’s end, I’m sure Hilda wouldn’t mind.”

  “Mhm, that’s what I’m thinkin’. Plus we’ll be seen at like we’re kindly folk to these poor saps too. Very kind indeed.” Bertram said, nodding to himself.

  Keldon gave Bertram a strange look. Bertram turned away from Keldon, pointing out to the group of recruits in the front who had run into a wall of dense forest trees.

  “Should prolly’ take care of that though.”

  Keldon jogged up towards the poor confused fellow in front, guiding him past the thicket of brushes as they made their way further into Deeproot woods.

  A few minutes later, the trees parted, clearing the way to a relatively empty glade of soil in the middle of the strange forest, dead wildflowers and fallen tall grass littered the ground, coated in a light dusting of white power as flecks of Tahlacite chips were scattered across the ground, mixed into the soil.

  Keldon’s lips curved into a smile as the recruits behind him hungered at the white flecks of Tahlacite. However, with Bertram staring daggers into their backs, none dared to make a move.

  “Masks first,” Keldon said as a few of them unhappily glared at him. However, after coming this far, none of them were willing to be sent back empty-handed.

  While the recruits were scrambling around the open field, Keldon stabbed long wooden sticks with strange engravings on them into the ground. He placed them on the edges of the clearing, where the trees met the fields, creating a ring around the recruits and himself.

  “Bertram! It’s ready.” Keldon yelled out across the field. Bertram nodded in acknowledgment as he waved his left hand in a semi-circle. A skill orb materialized where he waved his hand as he muttered to himself as the wooden sticks began to hum together in unison.

  Keldon walked back towards Bertram. He stood at Bertram’s side who was overlooking the new recruits as they went around the field.

  “Looks good to me,” Keldon said. He yelled at the recruits who were floundering about on the ground “Absolutely under no circumstances can any of you touch these wooden poles alright?!! These poles ward off Aberrants and keep the smell of Tahlacite locked in so they won't bother us! ”

  However, the recruits paid him no mind.

  “*sigh* this job will be the death of me someday I swear,” Keldon said.

  “Mhm,” said Bertram with a nod.

   However, Keldon was shooting looks at Bertram out of the corner of his eyes, and suddenly, Keldon twisted his body and lunged his arm out at Bertram’s neck. However, without breaking sight with the recruits, he snapped his hand out, grabbing Keldon by the wrist. Keldon struggled, trying to break free from his iron grip as Bertram grinned. Keldon felt himself lurch forwards and into the air as Bertram's leg snapped out, knocking Keldon off his feet. Keldon stuck his arms out, twisting his body to the side as he rolled on his shoulder into a somersault. He sprung up from the ground, landing on his feet.

  “*tch*”

  "You grimy turd." said Bertram. "You tried to pull a lil’ sneaky on your ol’ pal Bertram hm?”

  “Oh I wouldn’t say tried~” Keldon said playfully, wagging a small beige button between his fingers.

  Bertram looked down at his tunic, noticing the missing top button.

  “Only happened because I gotta make room for the critter,” Bertram said as his face soured.

  Keldon said nothing, holding his stance. Bertram swiveled his feet, to face Keldon, still keeping watch of the recruits out of the corner of his eye. He pivoted into a defensive stance, raising his hands above his head and curling his fingers into claws. He lowered his center of gravity, still maintaining eye contact with Keldon and watch of the recruits. Most of the recruits had stopped at this point, watching with curiosity.

  Keldon bounced back and forth on his heels, watching Bertram intently. The wind whistled by, creating a cold silence in the air as the recruits had gone quiet.

  Keldon lunged forwards, sending out a quick jab at Bertram’s chest, which he parried to the side with ease. Keldon dropped low to the ground, sending out his leg in a sweeping kick as Bertram hopped backward. Keldon sprang up from the ground, swinging his fist into an uppercut as Bertram moved back as Keldon’s fist grazed past his crooked nose.

  “Slow,” Bertram said, as he stepped back into Keldon’s chest. Keldon tried to put distance between him and Bertram; however, he was too late. Bertram put his hand on Keldon’s chest and shoved him back, stumbling a few steps before landing on his ass.

  “Again.” Bertram said, falling back into his initial stance, waiting for Keldon to get back up. Keldon leaped back onto his feet, dusting his clothes off, and fell into his initial stance as well.

  Bertram took a step backwards, starting to wave his left hand in a semi-circle. Alarmed, Keldon leaped at Bertram to stop him, from summoning his skill orb. But it was a feint, Keldon tried to twist his body away, but he was already in motion as Bertram flashed to his side, swiping at his feet and grabbing the back of his head. With a flick, he slammed Keldon into the earth as he stole the wind from his chest as Keldon rolled around on the ground feebly and in pain.

  “That’s bait. Any Martial Skill user with any halfa’ dime of experience will bluff ya in like that.” Bertram said standing over Keldon, still in pain. He stuck out his hand as Keldon looked up, taking the much-appreciated assistance as Bertram pulled him up onto his feet as he rubbed the side of his ribs in discomfort.

  “What’re you looking at ya’ lily-livered pansies?!!” Bertram barked, turning his head back towards the new recruits. “Get yerr sorry asses to work or I’ll gut ya’!!”

  The recruits quickly scattered to the other side of the field.

  Bertram turned back towards Keldon, holding up a defensive stance again.

  “Set?”

  Keldon stopped rubbing his sides and shifted back into his initial stance once again, looking Bertram square in the eyes as he nodded solemnly.

  “Go.”

  And Keldon Leapt towards Bertram again.

#

  Two hours later, Keldon was panting on the ground, covered in bruises as Bertram casually leaned on “Hush”, picking at some food between his teeth with his pinky nail. The rest of the recruits were still sifting through the dirt and soil as the air filled with the heavy stench of sulfur from unearthing so much Tahlacite.

“ *huff* *huff* How…*huff* H-How’d I do?” Keldon asked, staring at the sky on his back.

  Bertram paused for a moment and stroked his chin, face deep in contemplation.

  “You’d be snapped like a twig if ya’ went up ‘gainst a real merc’ like me but against some nobody, I suppose you could hold your own… I suppose.”

  Pleased with himself, Keldon bore a self-satisfied grin. He stared up into the sky watching as the clouds slowly drifted by, floating on the winds of the world.

  “Hey Ber-“

  “Hold them words. Tar-eyed is makin’ trouble.” Bertram said, nodding his head towards the edge of the other side of the field.

  Keldon scrambled to get up, turning around to see the tar-eyed lad nearly foaming at the mouth and screaming at another recruit. Keldon ran towards the other side of the field, followed by Bertram who walked a few paces behind as he came closer to see that the tar-eyed recruit was screaming to the sifter who wore a ring.

  “MY GRAM OF SWEET, DAMN YOU! I KNOW YOU STOLE IT!!!” screamed the tar-eyed recruit as he forcefully grabbed the coveralls of the other sifter.

  “Get off me you drug-addled mule!! I don’t have your damn sweet!!” yelled the recruit with the ring, grabbing the tar-eyed recruit and trying to pull his hands off his clothes. But the strength of a tar-eyed was not one to trifle with, his hands held firm like iron as he shook the recruit with the ring, trying to force an answer from him.

  “Break it up!! Break it up!!!” Keldon yelled, pushing the two of them away as he stood between them. The tar-eyed recruit fumed, as he stared down the recruit with the ring. The tar-eyed recruit bore daggers into the other as his fists had clenched so tightly the knuckles flashed white while his fingernails dug into his palms, drawing blood and dripping down his hands.

  “What happened here?” Keldon asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

  “He stole my sweet!!!” the tar-eyed man said, yelling in Keldon’s ear.

  “I wouldn’t be caught dead eating sweet, I may be workin’ in the hissings but I’ve got a wife and a kid to take care of. Not like you’d know a lick’ about responsibility,” he said, spitting venomously.

  “Now now, I’m sure that whatever happened her was just a simple misunde-“

  The tar-eyed recruit suddenly howled and tackled the other recruit to the ground, interrupting Keldon. They rolled around in the soil struggling at each other as the tar-eyed recruit clawed at the other, raking his fingers across him. Keldon ran over to try to break up the fight as the two grappled each other, rolling around on the ground. However, as Keldon tried to pry the two apart, the man with the ring threw the tar-eyed man to the side, throwing him down on one of the humming wooden posts as the weight of the fall snapped it in half, the air growing still and the wooden posts stiller.

  Keldon’s eyes widened. He whipped his head around to see that the recruits were still collecting Tahlacite, and while a few had stopped to watch the scene unfold, many were still blinded. The scent of sulfur had filled the air and drifted out into the forest as the leaves stirred. The sky darkened as the sun began to set, turning the field into a pale orange-yellow as Keldon’s hairs stood up on the back of his neck.

  “EVERYBODY, THROW DOWN YOUR BAGS NOW!!!” Keldon screamed, turning towards the recruits.

  Each of the recruits stopped moving, frozen in place as they processed the information. They didn’t understand why Keldon had yelled at them to dump out their day’s work, and neither did they want to lose it.

  “UNEARTHED TAHLACITE ATTRACTS ABERRANTS. DUMP IT ALL AND RUN!!” Keldon screamed at the top of his lungs.

  “NOW VARMINTS, NOW” Bertram screamed, backing Keldon up as he grabbed the nearest recruit’s bag and threw it onto the ground.

  “Move! Move! Move!” Bertram yelled, as his eyes darted around quickly, unsure of where the Aberrant could possibly come from. Bertram reached to “Hush” at his waist as he pulled on the hilt, as the sword whispered a *Shhhh* while Bertram unsheathed it.

  Hearing the word “Aberrants” set the recruit’s fear aflame, all the money in the world wouldn’t be able to help them if they were six feet under the earth. They scrambled, grabbing as much as their equipment as possible as they ran towards the edge of the forest.

  Keldon moved with the recruits quickly, helping them gather their things quickly as Bertram stood nervously watching guard.

  Suddenly, Bertram heard the snap of a twig from behind him as he whipped his head around. As the sun set on the group and a pale orange cascaded from the sky, out from the dense thickets of the forest and shadows, emerged two curled bleach white antlers, each the size of a full-grown man. From the darkness came a creature of a shadowy black and ashen grey. The creature was goat-like in form but stood 10 feet tall and the antlers added the size of another man. The creature stepped out into the glade, followed by a small black butterfly, which fluttered in the air around it. Plumes of dark smoke poured out from its nostrils as the air grew very, eerily still.

  Everyone in the glade froze, not daring to move, lest even the slightest disturbance would alert the creature to their position. Bertram stepped forward, pulling Crumbs who still slept in his leather armor, out of his pouch, leaving him on the ground for Keldon. Along with a bright red stick the size of Keldon’s palm. Bertram’s face steeled as he readied hush and lowered his stance. “Get the recruits out and send the flare…I’ll hold it the bastard off ‘long as I can,” Bertram said in a quiet voice, keeping his eyes locked on the Aberrant.

  “Even at the top speeds, an Imperial WarAngel will take at least 3 minutes to arrive, give or take a minute for it to find us,” Keldon said quietly back, picking up Crumbs and the flare and fighting the urge to scream in terror. The dark yellow eyes of the Aberrant cooly gazed across the field, and every instinct in Keldon’s body clawed at him to run as far away as his legs could carry him.

  Bertram took in a deep breath, shooting Keldon a grimace. “I’m a lucky man Keldon, I get to go down fighting one of them beasts that helped slay Vash of the Seven.”

  Keldon stared at Bertram, tears welling up in his eyes. “Bertram…don’t.”

  Bertram summoned his skill orb.

 

  The air around Bertram blistered as steam surged from Bertram’s body, heating the air around him. Bertram stepped towards the creature again, keeping a steady gaze as the creature huffed another plume of black smoke.

  “GO!” Bertram yelled. Keldon sprang to his feet, grabbing the nearest recruits who were frozen in terror. He uncapped the flare, pointing it towards the sky, and pulled on the string attached to the bottom. The flare whizzed through the air, exploding into the sky, showering the glade in a bright display of red light.

  Immediately Bertram dashed forward, screaming as Hush swished through the air, diving towards the Aberrant as the Aberrant reared back on its hind legs, bringing down its hooves. However, Bertram nimbly dodged to the side, driving a deep cut into its ribs. Black ichor spilled out of its side as the beast let out an ear-piercing screech. The recruits tried to cover their ears, however, it was too late, the sound had traveled too fast, and had knocked most of the recruits unconscious, while those who still remained were vomiting on the ground from the mind-splitting pain.

  The Aberrant whipped it’s neck towards Bertram, trying to slam its deadly antler’s into him as Bertram leaped back in time, bringing up “Hush” to parry the curled horns, directing away most of the momentum. However, the tip of the right antler clipped Bertram on the shoulder, sending him flying through the air in a spin as he landed gracefully on his feet.

  Bertram clutched his shoulders feeling the warm blood spill from his arm. He passed “Hush” to his other arm, taking up a new stance to fight the Aberrant, as the creature raised up its head, lungs filling with air. The Aberrant’s chest swelled to twice the normal size as it let loose another plume of smoke, filling the glade in a cloud of smog. Bertram closed his eyes and opened his mind; the air grew still as he saw the Aberrant charging at him through his tremorsense, spinning out of the way as the Aberrant charged straight into a tree, uprooting the oak and toppling it over, crashing onto the ground with a boom.

  Bertram’s sword began to glow bright green as he whirled the blade around, swirling gusts of wind in a tornado centered around him. Bertram blew away the smoke, clearing the glade as he jumped 10 feet straight into the air as the Aberrant charged into him, rolling off the creature's spine and bouncing into the air as Bertram turned towards the creature, taking in a great breath as loosed a brilliant burst of flame, slamming into the Aberrant’s back. The Aberrant howled, kicking up its hind legs as it hoofed Bertram straight in the chest, sending him flying across the glade, crashing into the trunk of a tree where Bertram groaned on the ground in pain.

  “BERTRAM!” Keldon screamed. Keldon, picked up one of the nearby recruits, tossing them out of harm’s way as he ran towards Bertram who laid on the ground. Bertram leaped up off the ground, bruised and battered.

  “GET BACK.” he yelled at Keldon, as the Aberrant who stood across the field, opened its mouth. Blacklight coalesced at the center of its jaw and fired the ball at Bertram who had pounced onto Keldon, covering Keldon with his body as the ball of light hit the tree where Bertram was, sending shockwaves through the air as the tree ruptured and burst into splinters. Bertram and Keldon were sent tumbling through the air as Bertram tuck and rolled onto the ground, still with Keldon wrapped around his arms.

  Dazed by the shockwave, Keldon’s eyesight had blurred, struggling to look at Bertram, who knelt over top of him.

  “B-Bertram?” Keldon said, trying to get a good look at him. However, Bertram hacked up a spattering of blood, staining Keldon's tunic in crimson. He wiped his mouth and stood up, turning back towards the Aberrant which had dug its hooves into the ground and lowered its head, signaling another charge.

  “LEAVE!” Bertram yelled, running away from Keldon. He dashed as quickly as he could towards the other side of the glade as the Aberrant followed, sending tremors through the ground as it charged towards him.

  Keldon turned, starting to run away but taking one last look back at Bertram in tears, freezing in place as his eyes caught something. They struggled to focus but finally adjusted for Keldon to see on the ground, there was an unconscious recruit left in the middle of the glade. He bit his lip, eyes darting back between the Aberrant and the unconscious recruit as he hesitated for a split-second, before sprinting as fast as he could towards the recruit. He ran over, hoisting him up onto his shoulders and trying to pull him to cover as Keldon heard a loud whack, turning his head to see that the Aberrant had scooped up Bertram with its antlers, and thrown him backward as Bertram flew over Keldon’s head, landing in the trees.

  The Aberrant turned towards Keldon, huffing black smoke out of its nostrils as it bent down preparing to charge Keldon.

  “Should I drop the recruit? I can’t. I shoul-“ Keldon thought as his mind raced. However, the Aberrant had started it’s charge by this time as Keldon saw the creature barrel in a rage towards him.

  “Ah. I’m going to die” Keldon thought, blankly staring at the creature charging towards him.

  Bertram dashed out from the tree in a blink of an eye, tackling Keldon and the recruit to push them out of the way as Keldon had the wind knocked out of him. However, the Aberrant managed to clip Keldon in the side of the head, cutting a deep gash into this skull as warm blood trickled down his face as he was tackled to the ground.

  Keldon groaned on his back, eyesight blurred once again as he looked up, seeing Bertram on top of his chest as fiery pain shot through his entire body.

  “Thanks…Bertram…” Keldon croaked slowly, however as he looked down, he saw that Bertram’s right leg was completely mangled, his leg had been trampled by the Aberrant as from his shin down, his leg had been completely obliterated. What remained was a bloody mess of pulp and crushed bone as Bertram’s knee had bent inwards, bone sticking out of his thigh as he breathed heavily into Keldon’s chest.

  “Bertram…I…” Keldon said, sputtering to say the right words

  “S’okay buddy,” Bertram said, gritting through his teeth. He looked up at Keldon, as Keldon tried to meet his gaze, still disoriented from the hit to the head.

  “Sorry.” Bertram said. “I guess it happened on my watch after all.”

  “I…” Keldon said, struggling to fight back the tears; however, the sound of cloven hooves interrupted Keldon as they pounded against the ground as the Aberrant charged at the three of them.

  Keldon held Bertram in his arms, as the unconscious recruit laid at his side. He stared down the Aberrant who charged towards them. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, taking in a deep breath. Keldon opened his eyes, to meet the gaze of the Aberrant who charged at him, embracing his death.

  However, out of the corner of his eye, a small black butterfly flew by, landing on his shoulders, sending shivers through his entire body. It whispered in his ear, speaking words that he did not know but that he understood. Keldon’s eyes glazed over, raising his arm up as if he were in a trance.

  Keldon stretched his hand out towards the Aberrant, as he opened his mouth, uttering a single, indecipherable word as he clutched his outstretched hand into a fist

  “ “

  And air stilled.

  The Aberrant who was charging towards them, suddenly dropped in the middle of it’s charge, crashing into the earth and kicking up a storm of dust. It tumbled over, sliding towards Keldon and the other two before barely coming to a stop at Keldon's feet. He coughed, accidentally breathing in a bit of the loosened soil in the air when suddenly, his arm burst into a deafening cacophony of pain. Keldon howled as the pain that had shot up his arms was unlike anything he had ever felt before. The skin on his arms had blackened and rotted, falling off in flakes as dark blood seeped through the cracks. It was like a red hot iron needle was shoved under his toe-nail and then he kicked a door times a thousand.

        Just agony.

  Keldon mind dizzied, growing delirious as he ripped off his tunic with his other hand, wrapping the bloodied shirt around his arm to prevent the bleeding. His chest huffed up and down as he panted, mind still muddied from the sensations as he turned his attention back down towards Bertram, who was still bleeding out on the ground.

  “Oh fuck...Bertram!” He said, pulling Bertram off him and rolling him onto his back. “Bertram…Bertram!! Can you hear me, Bertram?!!” Keldon said, shaking him by the shoulders.

  Bertram mumbled, still not opening his eyes. Keldon looked at Bertram’s bloodied stump, still leaking his life-giving blood into the earth as panic settled in.

  “Oh gods, oh fuck. What did the Field Medicine Vol.4 say to do again?” Keldon muttered to himself as he overlooked his surroundings.

  “Right right. First, elevate the leg.” Keldon said to himself, looking around for something to elevate Bertram’s leg with. He looked around, finally grabbing the leg of the unconscious recruit with the ring, pulling him under Bertram.

  “Sorry.” He uttered quickly. “Next, disinfect the wound…but with what…” Keldon said aloud, looking around the glade. A few feet away, he locked eyes with his backpack as an idea sprouted in his mind.

  “Right, the booze.” He muttered, getting up. A sharp pain shot up Keldon’s leg as he winced, limping over to his backpack as he rummaged through for Bertram’s whiskey. The alcohol content in the whisky wasn't high enough for proper disinfection, but it was better than nothing.

  He hobbled back over, pouring the contents over Bertram’s leg as he ripped off the shirt from the recruit, planning to use it to stop the bleeding.

  “Next… the bleeding,” Keldon said, turning back towards Bertram. However, Keldon froze, staring at the stump of the leg which continued to pour blood into the earth. The realization dawned on him, that the book had only told him what to do in case of an open fracture. Not the utter obliteration of a leg. Keldon’s hand shook in fear.

  “W-What do I do? Healing magic? I can’t. Ice the wound to constrict blood vessels? I don’t have any. And the wound’s too big… Oh by the gods what do I do. What do I do??!” Keldon said in a panic. Keldon looked at Bertram’s face as he saw that he had opened his eyes, as Bertram stared emptily into the sky. Keldon stumbled over to Bertram’s face, hovering over top of him to get a good look into his eyes, to see that his pupils weren’t focusing and Bertram couldn’t look him in the eyes.

  Tears poured down Keldon’s face as he wept into Bertram’s shoulders. “Please Bertram… Please don’t go. I’ll buy you all the fire whiskey you want. I’ll…I’ll come clean your house every day for the next century. I’ll never complain about a day’s work in the Hissings again. Please, Bertram… Please don’t leave me. I don't want to be alone again.”

  He shuffled over, putting his hands on top of each other over Bertram’s heart in an attempt to perform CPR. He leaned into his hands and gave it a thrust, sending shocks of pain straight up his arm as blood seeped from underneath his makeshift bandages. He pushed down again, leaning into the weight as he was trying to keep Bertram alive as another wave of pain shot up his arm. His mind was sent spinning, only keeping himself conscious out of shock and sheer willpower. Keldon pushed and pushed, each time sending pain shooting up his bloodied arm as eventually, it had become too much. His mind reeled, his vision failed him and he fell over, panting heavily on the ground. He stirred, trying to will himself back up. He needed to save Bertram. He HAD to save Bertram. But instead, he laid collapsed on the ground and closed his eyes in exhaustion, blacking out.