The Far Wilds

Part 13

The following morning saw Flame sitting on top of the hill, alternating between scanning the horizon for threats and watching the enormous rabbits that inhabited the island. She heard crunching behind her and spun, startled, only to see that it was War.

"Oh it's just you," she said, relaxing.

He smiled. "I'll choose to take that as a compliment." Squatting down beside her, he too began to watch the rabbits. After a long moment, he stood up and said, "Be right back."

Flame turned to him. "What-"

But he was already gone, charging down the hill. In one fluid motion he cornered one of the rabbits, pinned it down, and slipped a lead around its neck. Then he yanked it back, the large, brown, and exceedingly fluffy lagomorph hauling as hard as he could in the opposite direction.

"It's Big Chongus," said War, laughing and smiling broadly.

Flame stifled a laugh. "Would you like some help making him a pen?"

"If you don't mind."

The next couple hours were spent excavating a home for the rabbit, as well as placing some water to break his fall at the bottom of the entrance ladder. Then they brought Chongus in and slapped a nametag on him, standing back to admire their handiwork. Somewhere along the line the others joined them, all laughing about the rabbit's name.

Then, suddenly, Candy, who had left to check on something, said, "Who took my stuff?! Flame!"

"I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding," said Flame. She glanced searchingly at the others, then went downstairs to where Candy was standing, her head in a large chest. "My armor is missing, and most of my diamonds."

"That was me!" Called down War. He stuck his head through the gap the ladder occupied, a grin on his face. "If you really cared you would have put them in your ender chest!"

An ender chest was an enchanted chest, magically enhanced so it was connected to every other chest created the same way. Another bonus was that only the person who placed items in it could access said items, making it the perfect place to store valuables. Even so, there was an unspoken "no thieving" rule around Iceland, and War had broken it.

Candy scowled at him and drew her bow, aimed, and fired. War just barely dodged out of the way, the arrow pinning a few stray hairs to where his head had been.

Flame jumped in between them. "Woah. Let's all take a moment to calm down, alright?" She glanced up at the ladder. "War, how about you give Candy her stuff back."

"No."

The answer made Flame frown at the ceiling. "Why not?"

"If she really cared that much, she would have put them in a better place."

Flame scowled, unconsciously matching Candy's expression. "That's not how it works around here, War, and you know it."

"Still no."

Flame huffed and turned to her outraged friend. "Sorry Candy. Could you just make another one?"

Candy opened her mouth and narrowed her eyes ferociously. Then she clenched her fists, turned, and angrily slammed the chest shut. "I won't forget this, Flame.

"I promise."

Candy didn't say much after that. She'd been quiet before, but this was a whole new level of silence. She didn't respond when Flame or War spoke to her, even going as far as ignoring Smevy when he sided with Flame. So it came as a surprise when a couple weeks later she screamed into their minds, a sudden bloodcurdling mental noise that left them all stunned.

"Where are you?" Flame called, not having a physical sound to follow.

"By the animal pens. Hurry!"

Flame hurried up from the third level they had excavated the day before, the contents being a melon farm and fishing spot.

Flame climbed the ladder as quickly as she could, rounding the corner to a horrific sight.

They had gone out to bring animals in from the mainland a week before, setting up seperate caves for them and an egg machine. Now the egg machine lay barren of hopper or chest, the corpses of the chickens piled high in the space they had occupied. The cow and sheep caves lay simularily vacant of life, the mangled bodies of their occupants spread in the position they had died in. Big Chongus lay splayed in his pen, his fluffy body looking much smaller in death.  Finally, adding the cherry on top of the carnage, footprints, clearly visible on the blood streaked floor, lead through the carnage to the wall, where they abruptly disappeared.

"It was Caden!" Candy exclaimed. "I saw him seal up the wall..." She trailed off, clearly too distraught to continue.

"How do we know it wasn't you?!" Smevy accused. Everyone had arrived, staring at the disaster with varied amounts of disgust and horror.

"He has a point," said War. His eyes narrowed behind the mask. "What's your proof?"

"Wait," said Flame. "We have any proof it was her either. Plus, what reason would she have to do this? She needed those animals as much as we did! I have a hard time believing she would do this over something as small as some stolen armor."

"I don't know," said Smevy, sounding uncertain. "Candy is pretty stubborn. And how would Caden even know we were here? We're in the middle of nowhere!"

Sudden there was a loud squish from downstairs. Every head spun to face it, then to Candy, who shrugged, her face resolute. Then they all charged to see what it was.

Invisible feet were stomping the melons, invisible hands ripping up the tending stalks. Everyone but Flame drew their swords and charged him, but it was too late. What must have been Caden turned and ran to a tunnel in the wall, quickly pushing a pile of gravel back in front of it. Then there was a slight boom from deep inside the tunnel, rock raining down to fill it. Flame's allies stopped short. In the time it would take to get through all of this, Caden would already be gone.

"Well," said Smevy, "I was wrong. I'm sorry Candy."

"I told you it was Caden," said Candy calmly, like she hadn't been accused of animal slaughter a few minutes before.

"The problem is," said Flame, "how are we supposed to catch an enemy we can't see?"

Little did they know, much worse than Caden was heading towards them.