A Casual Collection: Season 2

Ep9: Love at First Ax

True to Add's word, the village had made a deal with the New Order. Tagging along, he watched from the side while the church was being redone to fit the new legion. All the humans seemed on edge, but no tension seemed to boil over. There was a social gathering planned in the evening, but Lao had decided to leave early beforehand. He found out his father turned out to have a similar, yet more permanent idea as he passed him and his family packing their belongings into a wagon. "You're leaving father?"

"It is no longer Orderite territory. As far as things are, we still have the cottage I and your grandfather made to stay in unless the woods are now unsafe..."

"I can escort you," Lao offers.

"That is a good idea, but I thought you would want to stay with your people and your...kitsune tails..." A girlish scream came from inside the wagon. "Quiet lily! They aren't here...yet," his father called. "Well then, you could always keep up with the horses, unless you wish to ride along."

Lao nodded and helped pack the rest of their belongings into the wagon, then helped his mom and sister up into the covered wagon. The father climbed up onto the driver's seat, grabbing the ropes attached to the horses. The wagon started moving, leaving the village to travel to their cottage in the falling sun. Everything seemed to have an orange glow to it this particular day, reflecting the rays of the light to shine no matter what material they were. Lao moved in a light jog, acting as an on-foot escort with his hood up and weapons concealed. Other than the movement of wheels and hooves over packed dirt, his mother and sister chatted and played away in the cabin.

The path they were taking led straight to the tavern, but if it was that easy to find it wouldn't be as much as a retreat cottage. They took a turn at a particularly tall tree; its size and thickness stood out among the rest, not swaying in the windy day till the smallest of branches. It was the sturdiest thing for miles, and it was their first hint to change direction.

The wagon wheels cracked fallen branches as they weaved around trees, leading 90 degrees in a new general direction. Soon, all parts of civilization had left them, and they were alone in the forest. The light was dim from the overcast of trees, and the sun was almost done leaving them to the pale light of the coming moon. They stopped shortly to light the candles they have, putting four in each corner and two beside his father. With light around them, they continued, listening to the crickets in the night and smelling the incense from hot candle wax.

"Do you think it still has the supplies that you and your dad brought?" Lao asked his father.

"It should, and it's right next to a nice place to fish and garden. Seeds and water to last us a lifetime."

They reached the cabin they were looking for. It looked spawned out of place with all the trees and shrubbery that surrounded it, but it was still standing. "That's weird, the door is open," the father commented, pointing at the broken lock on the door. "Oh well, it has been a while, and the locksmith's metal lasted long enough..."

The family all got down from the cabin, the four of them approaching the open door into the house. As it was built by hand, there were only two rooms in the cabin, the main room and a place to sleep in. They all went in around the same time, looking around at all the dusty wooden things in the main room. "Honey, everything looks ransacked," his mother said while looking at the open bags of wheat. "It has claws, it was probably a boar we can hunt."

"Will you teach me how to use a gun?" the daughter asked, touching Lao's coat and being in awe at how soft it felt against her hand. "No, you're only six. Lao, can you and your sister go check the bedrooms?" Lao nodded and went with his sibling to peer inside. It was only bed frames, with bags of feathers and sheets in the corner for when the place would be finally used. Although a dark shadow was in the corner, grumbling reverberating from it. The sister noticed around the same time he did, paralyzing in fear as she watched its chest rise and fall. "M, m..."