It felt like the dawn would never come—not just that night, but ever again.

I hadn’t slept at all. My fears about being left unguarded hadn’t been left to my imagination. A few bored soldiers had made their way to my tent during those long, dark hours. Some of them were simply curious about the yellow girl, others wanted to vent their anger about non-humans.

The layers of beatings my body received through the night left me on the verge of unconsciousness. Each shallow breath brought a wave of pain through my torso, which radiated outward. I fluctuated between nausea and agony. 

The beatings hadn’t been the worst of it, though.

I closed my eyes, pressing my face against my arm. I could still see the shadow of the man standing over me with that evil grin on his face…

I choked a sob, struggling to sit up.

My breathing became irregular and my heart started to pound. I curled my knees up against my chest, but my wrists were still tied to the tent pole. Tried as I might, I couldn’t stifle the ragged sobs that started taking over.

The weak rays of sunlight released the hysteria that I’d been holding inside of myself through the darkness of the night. I couldn’t contain it any longer. I cried and screamed as if possessed by some sort of evil spirit.

One of the soldiers came running to my tent. I didn’t recognize him, but he seemed to have some sort of authority.

“What’s going on here?” he demanded.

I didn’t care who he was. I didn’t care about anything.

I continued to let out all of the pain I’d been keeping inside.

More soldiers arrived.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“Purity preserve us, what noise!”

“Was she…injured…like that yesterday?”

“Somebody gag her!”

“Knock her out!”

I filled my lungs to renew my screams.

“What’s happening here?”

A new voice cut through the chaos. It was so sharp that even I noticed it. It awakened my sense of fear, causing me to quiet immediately. My breath continued to come in shaking sobs and my heart beat so loudly that I could feel it in my ears, but my voice disappeared as if it had been killed on the spot.

The soldier was a man in his forties, with light hair and eyes. I’d never seen anyone with such pale coloring before. It made him appear washed out. His expression was rigid, like he’d been given something unpleasant to eat. His uniform had the symbol for the number four on it, so I assumed he was the man in charge of the camp.

“Nothing to worry about, sir,” one of the other soldiers hurried to explain. “The prisoner is just causing a ruckus.”

The man’s cold eyes rested on me, instantly filling me with dread. I recoiled, making myself as small as possible.

“I inspected her when she was brought in yesterday,” the fourth said slowly. “She didn’t have so many injuries at that time.”

Several soldiers shifted uncomfortably.

“Who was charged with watching over her?” he asked.

No one seemed eager to answer.

“Third Jonn, sir.”

The fourth sighed. “I see. Have him sent to my tent.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Take the prisoner to the wagon being sent back to Lord Yubran. He can decide what to do with her.”

“Yes, sir.”

The ropes tying my wrists were undone, but my arms were so swollen I could hardly move them. The soldiers tried to force me to walk but ended up dragging me most of the way through the camp. I wasn’t able to support myself, no matter how hard I tried.

They dropped me in a heap near the wagon, not bothering to tie me up again. They assumed (correctly) that I wouldn’t be able to escape.

The wagon was being loaded up with fresh animal carcasses and other supplies that were being sent back to the local lord’s castle. My eyes fell on the stack of boxes near the back that appeared to have been specially sealed. My brow slowly creased as I wondered what they held.

Min’s words suddenly floated to the front of my mind.

If the rumors are true, I would guess that it means they harvest anything they can use and secretly send it back to the capital.

Bile rose in my throat and I fought the urge to vomit. 

It couldn’t be true. I prayed that it wasn’t true. 

I told myself that the boxes held something else—anything else. I had to believe that there was a limit to the depravity of these humans.

Life in the camp continued as if I didn’t exist, completely unaware of my emotional agony. I crumbled to the ground, unable to do the smallest things like sitting up. No one cared. As long as I was being quiet, it didn’t matter to anyone what I was doing.

The ground was cold and hard, but I hardly noticed. The small rocks pressing into my skin were a welcome distraction from everything else that I was feeling. I closed my eyes, letting the tears flow out without stopping. 

The mud that formed around my face felt strangely soothing. I wished that I could sink into it until I disappeared.

My body felt heavy, much heavier than normal. I could barely lift my ribs enough to breathe. I didn’t care, though. I couldn’t make myself care about anything. It would be a relief to stop breathing.

“Everything loaded up?”

My stomach tensed as the familiar voice reached my ears. I looked up to see Third Jonn speaking to one of the younger soldiers. I clenched my eyes shut once more, wishing the horrible man away.

Two rough hands grabbed my dress collar, yanking me upright. “You’ll have to walk, demon. There’s no room for you in the wagon.” His voice still seethed with hatred.

I did my best to stand, even though my legs shook under my weight. My hands were tied with a length of rope to the back of the wagon, where I would be forced to walk or be dragged behind.

“I’ll be watching you,” the soldier warned me, “so don’t try anything.”

I honestly didn’t know what he thought I’d be capable of doing at that point. I ducked my head to let him know I would obey—I didn’t even trust my voice to function. 

He pushed me over, just for good measure, snorting with laughter as he walked away. I landed hard on my knees, biting my lip from the pain.

The younger soldier from the night before appeared at my side, lending a hand to help me up. I flinched away from his touch as well, even though he was trying to be gentle. I couldn’t help but hate him as much as the others who had hurt me. He may not have raised his hand against me, but he had turned his back and allowed them to do it.

He seemed to sense my thoughts from the flash of my glance because he backed away from me and didn’t approach again.

There were four soldiers assigned to escort the wagon, including Third Jonn. They set the horse into motion as soon as they had permission, eager to be on their way. I held onto the back of the wagon, using it to help me walk.

The noise of the camp quickly faded behind us. It soon felt that we were completely alone in the mountain forest. I could tell that the soldiers felt uneasy because they tried to fill the silence with chatter.

“Do you think we’ll get some time off?”

“Hmph! I doubt it.”

“We’ve been at this for days.”

“Since when did the fifths and sixths care about that?”

“I haven’t seen my family since this whole thing started.”

“Stop complaining. My family isn’t even in this fief.”

“Why did you come?”

“Yeah? The pay can’t be worth it.”

There was a brief pause.

“We were promised rewards for gathering specific…resources.”

My head jerked up. The soldier who was speaking looked uncomfortable. He glanced at Third Jonn as if he worried he would be reprimanded.

The senior soldier cleared his throat. “Listen, we all came for different reasons. It doesn’t matter. Just do your job and don’t cause trouble.”

The soldiers fell silent, trudging through the underbrush unhappily. They may have had different reasons for being soldiers, but they didn’t seem to like the idea of having different incentives offered.

My eyes turned back to the wooden boxes strapped to the wagon. I knew what resources the soldier had been alluding to, and it made my stomach turn all over again. I couldn’t bear to think what was held in those containers.

Just as we were reaching a more difficult stretch of terrain, the back wheels of the wagon suddenly dropped into a sinkhole. I lost my balance and fell as well.

Even if I hadn’t been holding onto the wagon for support, the rope tying me to the back still would’ve pulled me down. I landed in the wagon bed on top of the animal carcasses, which caused my skin to crawl.

Normally, I had nothing against hunting or eating animals, but this specific situation left me feeling sick.

I moved as far away from the wagon supplies as I could, pressing my body against the earthen wall that trapped the wheels. I could hear the panicked shouting of the soldiers as they rushed to rescue the horse from being trapped at the other end.

I closed my eyes, wishing that the hole would close up over me.

“Tiff!”

The whisper took a moment to register in my mind.

“Tiff!”

My eyes shot open.

A small, quartz-like figure stood just above me. His roughly sculpted features were strained with anxiety.

“Min?”

He motioned quickly with both hands. “Hurry, before they see us!”

Tears began flooding down my cheeks. I held up my wrists for him to see. “I’m tied to the wagon,” I explained.

“Muddy…” he started to curse as he climbed down closer to me.

Mineral grabbed the rope and slowly began to turn it to stone. As each fiber transformed, he tapped it sharply with his hard fingers, cleanly breaking it. Once it was severed, he returned it to rope and let it unravel.

“Let’s go!”

I did my best to hurry, but even adrenaline could only do so much for my injured body. I pulled myself up out of the sinkhole, but I wasn’t fast enough to run for cover without being spotted by the soldiers.

“Hey!”

I didn’t look back. I put all of my energy into heading for the trees. 

“Get back here!”

Min stood on a low branch, launching pebbles at the soldiers with his magic. They weren’t nearly as effective as arrows, but they were enough to slow our pursuers.

“Run, Tiff!”

The pain in my legs sharpened, but I increased my speed anyway. I had to escape, no matter what.

Up ahead I recognized Budding standing next to a narrow alcove. I sobbed in relief. “You’re alive!”

She grabbed me, shoving me into the rocky semi-shelter. I saw her gather her meager magic, pressing it into me without hesitation. I experienced the warmth of healing spread through my body, even though it wasn’t enough to make a significant difference.

“What are you doing?” I demanded. “Save that for yourself.”

She grabbed me by the shoulders, staring directly into my eyes. “You are more important,” Budding said firmly. “You have to survive, do you understand?”

An icy spike of fear pierced my heart. “What do you mean? What are you going to do?”

“Listen to me,” my teacher insisted. “You have to live. You have to protect Wake’s seed, you have to protect yourself. And…and…I want you to take care of Mineral, too.”

My breathing was growing erratic. I shook my head with wide eyes. “Budding…”

She cut me off. “No matter what happens to me, you have to promise that you’ll do those things. Promise!”

Budding didn’t wait for me to answer.

The tree tiernan ran back in the direction where Mineral was distracting the soldiers. It wasn’t too far from where I was huddled, so I could easily hear her shouting.

“Mineral, give me all the magic you can spare. Every bit!”

I saw the golden threads flowing between them and I had the presence of mind to wonder how a transfer like that worked. I’d only ever been taught how to borrow magic from plants, not from other beings.

Budding used the magic to shape-shift into an enormous bear. 

Since Min’s magic was based in the earth element, Budding’s transformation reflected that. The bear’s features were rigid and rock-like, with larger claws and fearsome teeth. She truly appeared as a terrifying beast.

Budding opened her mouth and let out a bone-shaking roar. The soldiers cried out in fear, taking several steps back. Third Jonn was the first to draw his sword, showing his teeth in an expression of pure loathing.

He raised his blade and rushed forward, urging the three younger soldiers to do the same. Their attacks were surprisingly unified, considering how inexperienced some of them looked. They took turns advancing and retreating, staying just out of reach from Budding’s sharp claws.

She didn’t just focus on her attacks on the soldiers. The bear/tiernan took every opportunity to distract her foes. She made strange, unpredictable movements and unusual sounds just to keep them on edge.

I would’ve laughed at her antics if I hadn’t been so anxious for her safety.

One soldier swung his sword at her back leg, slicing deep into her haunch. She cried out in pain but kept moving.

She used her paw to fling an arc of dirt into the air, forcing the soldiers to shield their eyes. While they were doing that, Budding rushed at two of the younger soldiers. She threw her weight at them, sending them flying into the brush.

Unfortunately, Third Jonn recovered quickly and attacked Budding while her back was to him. He stabbed at her with his blade, giving a bloodthirsty shriek.

Budding’s roar as a bear was overlaid with her cry as a woman. The sound sent shivers down my spine. I cried along with her, wishing that there was something I could do to help.

The second soldier rushed to support his commander, adding his wounds to the ones Budding was already receiving. The third and fourth soldiers reappeared from where they’d been thrown, and soon the bear/tiernan was surrounded.

I gripped the rocks next to me, sobbing uncontrollably.

There was nothing I could do.

I could barely stand, let alone help Budding fight against four soldiers. In all honesty, I should have been running away when I had the chance. I wouldn’t be able to escape if the soldiers came for me.

Yet, I couldn’t move.

I couldn’t leave her, even though there was nothing I could do to help her.

I stayed there in that narrow alcove, crying hysterically as I watched the fight below. The soldiers closed in on Budding, hacking at her mercilessly with their swords. She couldn’t break free from the circle they’d made around her. Her wounds had weakened her too much.

My cries seemed to echo through the forest. I could feel my heart tearing into pieces as I witnessed the inevitable.

I had to save her!

But I couldn’t save her.

How many more deaths would I be forced to watch?

The shrieks grew louder.

I fell to my knees. I was growing dizzy. I couldn’t look away, even though I couldn’t bear what I was seeing. I wanted to run to Budding and shield her with my own body—my small form covering that enormous bear.

That keening sound was hauntingly familiar…

Shock jolted me back to my senses. I wrenched myself to my feet, running down the slope to where Min had fainted after the magic transfer. I scooped him into my arms like an infant, protecting him as best I could.

The sunlight of the entire area dimmed without warning.

A whirlwind of leaves rose, accompanied by the terrifying shriek that had been growing closer unnoticed. The human soldiers all dropped their swords, running away without hesitation. Their screams could barely be heard over the howl of the blayet.

The black shadow materialized in front of the soldiers, no matter which way they tried to escape. I could see the glowing red eyes deep in the billows of darkness, searing with malice. I froze in fear when I looked at them, but only for a moment.

There was something disturbingly familiar about them. Had I seen a blayet before?

The soldiers were also immobilized by the gaze of the phantom. They simply stood in place as the blayet approached them one by one.

I watched as the monster grasped Third Jonn by the throat, lifting him in the air. I didn’t understand how the shadow creature could hold something solid like a human, but it did. The blayet reached its hand into the soldier’s head, pulling out a glowing substance. The body was then tossed away, and the substance was consumed by the phantom.

That was it.

That was the end of the man who had beaten me less than a day before.

I couldn’t believe that it had happened so quickly, and part of me was angry that he hadn’t suffered more.

The blayet finished off the other three soldiers just as efficiently, pulsing with dark power. Being so close to it made me feel queasy. My instincts told me that my core magic didn’t go well with the blayet’s.

The phantom dropped the last human and began moving toward Budding’s wounded form.

I shot to my feet, moving faster than I thought possible with my injuries.

“NO!”

I placed myself between the blayet and Budding. I probably looked ridiculous to anyone who could’ve seen—a small, unprotected girl standing in front of a cloud of darkness.

Even so, I held my ground.

“Don’t touch her,” I shouted.

The blayet paused, regarding me with its red eyes. It seemed to take my words seriously, which confused me more than anything.

I knew those eyes, though.

Where had I seen those eyes?

Had it been in the dream state?

Had I been killed by a blayet before?

It seemed a ridiculous thing to think. How could I have died before if I was still alive? Yet, I suddenly felt that the blayet couldn’t hurt me because it had already done its worst to me in the past.

An abrupt sense of authority came over me, even though I had no idea where it came from. I pointed at the blayet, squaring my shoulders. “You will leave this mountain. Go back to where you came from.”

The blayet started to back away. It was actually listening to me.

I couldn’t believe it.

Min had warned me that strange things happened to people who went into the dream state. I wondered if the monster’s response had something to do with that.

The shadows retreated, allowing the sun to return to the forest. All of the noises faded, leaving us in the heavy silence that follows a battle. 

My thoughts turned to the stories I had loved hearing as a child. There were always celebrations after winning a fight, weren’t there? I wanted to feel victorious, but I couldn’t. I was surrounded by the dead and wounded, with nothing to show for all of our efforts.

I lowered myself to the ground, leaning against Budding’s unconscious form and holding Min close. My shoulders shook as I began to sob again.

Nothing.

There was nothing left but loss.