The masked figure shot another bolt towards Whitehorn. Flying through the air it pierceded him in the chest and he collapsed to the ground his armor falling around him.

Whitehorn gave several threatening sounds but was unable to move. He was obviously in a lot of pain but trying to put a front to scare the hunters away from Fern.

Naru held her scream in. She had hidden in the undergrowth and was avoiding the hunters by watching the scene.

“Ay boss this one’s feisty can we walk in?”

“Itsssss Fineee” The masked figure walked forward. Holding a jagged knife

Whitehorn although incapacitated, shot several more gouts of flames and layers of earth magic at the figure.

The figure waved his hand and the magic appeared to fizzle.

The figure approached Whitehorn and grabbed his neck, lifting his body up in an impossible feat of strength. She saw the knife flash and the figure cut the crystal from Whitehorn’s chest.

Whitehorn cried out in response.

[Whitehorn…] Naru though upon seeing the scene.

Not wanting to watch any further she ran. Behind her she heard more voices.

“There’s another”

“Get em!”

Naru ran, she didn’t know where but she had to run and fast.

Tears streaming down her eyes she pushed deeper into the forest.

[Eh a trunk?]

Naru found herself face to face with a large tree trunk in front of her.

Rather surrounding her were several large tree trunks.

[This place… it’s familiar.]

She realized that she had found her way to the grove that contains the master of the forest.

[Shoot!] She suddenly thought. The master of the forest didn’t take intruders quietly.

She found the gnarled old tree and went up to it to beg forgiveness. Getting on her knees she looked up at the face that was carved into the tree, rather than the kindly smile the face usually had it was… crying.

Lines of sap that looked like tears were dripping down a profoundly sad face.

[Oh] Naru thought, it seemed like the master of the forest knew of the massacre that was going on. It was then Naru realized that the master of the forest wasn’t just a grumpy old tree. Rather, Naru saw the expression of a parent losing their child.

Upon seeing Naru enter the leaves and branches began to rustle sadly.

“I’m the sorry master of the forest-san. I need a place to hide.” Naru said.

The master of the forest’s expression seemed to change slightly as if nodding. Suddenly, a rustling came from the roots in front of her and a hollow was made at the root of the master of the forest.

Naru quickly dove into the hollow and it closed up behind her.

Through the thin walls, the hunters continued to run past their excited voices echoing in Naru’s ears as they hunted down the other deer.

[Those fools… Don’t they know they’re killing living thinking things?] Naru thought bitterly as she heard the voices.

Now that she had time to recollect her thoughts. She herself was struck with a profound sense of pain. A throbbing in her heart.

Naru touched her face to realized they were wet with tears.

[Papa… Mama…] Naru thought.

She didn’t know of their fate, but she was sure it wasn’t something she wanted to see. The hooded figure was cutting out the crystals from their chest. It must’ve been important for something but Naru could only see the image of Whitehorn's collapsed figure in her mind.

She had always assumed that since her father was strong he could protect her and Fern. Naru realized that she was wrong to naively think this world was a paradise when she had seen so little of it.

Naru huddled into the wall closing her eyes and plugging her ears hoping to drown out the sound of wailing deer.

** ** **

Naru didn’t know how long she waited in that hollow, but by the time she had left, it was already late night. She opened a hole with her own earth magic and walked out to a still forest.

It was dark but Naru had better eyesight than a human since she was a deer. She walked through the forest back towards the deer grove.

As she got closer she began to see them.

The bodies.

It started when she tripped on something warm and wet.

Looking down she saw a deer with their crystals cut out, motionless.

Naru held back the bile that climbed in her throat. Her stomach turned, she averted her eyes and continued to push forward looking for any survivors.

She finally made her way to the pond. The shattered remains of the crystal were scattered apart and the water had lost it’s glow.

Naru heard a rustling behind her. She instantly stiffened and turned around ready to fight off a hunter.

“Fern!” She called out as she saw that figure was her mother.

Behind her was a limping deer, with a red hole on it’s chest. Naru instantly recognized it at her mother.

The deer seemed scared of her. She ran over to hug the deer who stiffened and tried to pull away.

Naru let the deer go.

“Mama it’s me?” Naru said looking at the deer.

The deer bleated.

“Mama change into a human. I can’t understand you like that.” Naru said laughing. She looked into the eyes of the deer.

“Mama?” Naru said softly.

There was no intelligence in the eyes of the deer. Rather, it didn’t even seem like the deer was aware of itself.

That was when Naru realized. Without the crystal in their chest, the deer were nothing more than animals. Naru’s mother without her crystal was just another doe. Dread began to fill Naru’s heart as she rejected the thought.

“Mama, it’s me? Here you can lick me!” Naru said changing into her form and laying down while presenting her head. Naru desperately hoped she was wrong.

The deer instead seemed to limp away ignoring her and grazing on the ground.

Naru’s vision began to blur.

[Mama…]

Naru’s legs collapsed onto the forest ground.

She was

Alone.