A swift breeze rustles the leaves of the trees beside me. I place my foot on one of the higher branches and pull myself up. I'm dead silent as I do this. I watch over the forest, looking for the ruthless beasts who now roam the land. I glance up at the dark clouds gathering in the distance. I should be getting back to the tribe before the storm hits.
I swing myself down from the branch I'm on and land on another. With my quiver of arrows hung around my back, I briskly travel from tree to tree. The fear of falling has escaped my mind. I've been doing this ever since I was born. I know my way through the trees, and I also know that being on the ground could mean certain death. I grace through the branches as a thick sitka spruce comes into sight- the marking of Sapphire Tribe. The blue crystal headpiece braided into my dark brown hair proves my allegiance. My tribe is responsible for the collection of edible plants, berries, nuts, and medicinal bark and flowers. Out of those, a few are known as Scouts, who protect our tribes and the Nulls from the various mutated animals. We try to keep track of how many Nulls there are.
Nulls are the people who are forced out of the districts. Each district is enclosed in a protective bubble. The problem with that is there's not enough room for a massive population. Another problem is that it is difficult to clean the oxygen at an increasing rate. The normal humans find it difficult to breathe this air. My lungs have adapted to it. When someone commits a crime in the districts, no matter the severity, they are sent out into the surrounding "Deadlands" and are instructed to find the Derniere- their last hope. There, they can go on trial. If found guilty, they are executed. If found innocent, they may live there. The issue is that in the Deadlands, they aren't given any drinkable water, food, or shelter. The vicious beasts roam the woodland, and the Nulls do not stand a chance to their massive size, venomous claws, needle-sharp teeth, and enhanced hearing. The one positive about them is that they can't climb trees. The tribes use this to their advantage.
I recognize the sweet chemical aroma of rain. The water is filled with radiation and chemicals. Drinkable water is extremely scarce. I reach the spruce tree. The center has been hollowed out. I climb down the inside of the tree until I reach a stone-carved ladder. I continue down this until my bare feet feel the smooth, cold stone floor beneath them. I turn around and walk into the Grand Chamber of the tribe's compound. It's not luxury, but it's home. The Grand Chamber is one of the only rooms with a stone floor, walls, ceiling, and solar-powered electric lighting. There aren't many electrical devices here. The parts are difficult to obtain. We only use them when we need to.
I go down one of the hallways the branch off from the Grand Chamber. It's illuminated the soft glow of lanterns. I run my hand along the dirt wall. I find the entrance to my room. I light a lantern and sit on my hammock of a bed, intertwined with vines and scraps of fabric. I watch the jar containing my collection of fireflies. Their light glows a brilliant blue. People say they used to glow a yellow hue, and they didn't bite, but that was decades ago.
I managed to fall asleep. I'm not surprised. I pull myself from bed and walk back into the Grand Chamber. I climb back up the spruce tree and reach the canopy. A breath of morning air makes me cough. The air is more contaminated than usual today. I take the square of fabric that's tied to my belt and tie it around my neck. I pull the fabric up over my mouth and secure it over my nose. After my breathing has improved, I make my way to my first post. I'm masked by a combination of the lack of light and caligo from the storm. The familiar psithurisms are the only thing I can hear.
By the time I get to my post, most of the mist has cleared. I scan the forest floor for any Nulls, berries, or beasts. Nothing. I press my back against the trunk of the tree and fidget with one of my arrows. Movement catches my eye. I ready my bow and arrow, eyes fixed on the source of the movement. It was a beast. It was smaller than average, but it is still vicious. It is sniffing around on the ground, hooked on a scent. Something makes its attention divagate. It turns to the tree I'm in. I'm hidden well. It shouldn't be able to see me. To be honest, I don't think it can see me. The only reason why it knows I'm here is that it can probably sense my heart rate. I take aim and pull back on my arrow. I release it and it passes straight through the beast's heart. It's dead.
I go down a few branches to examine it more clearly. One thing that had never occurred to me was what it was trying to sniff out. I hear a twig break. I whip my head around and see a Null standing on the ground, staring up at me. I'm not supposed to be seen. We both stand there, frozen, with our eyes locked together. She appears to panic. I know this is causing her heart rate to rise. One thing I've learned about being a scout is that beasts always travel in groups. If they can detect her heart rate, then we're both as good as dead. I climb down a few more branches and jump to the bottom. My feet were never supposed to touch the forest floor.
"They can sense your heart rate," I say. I motion to the tree. "Come on if you want a chance to live," She hesitates but tries to climb up. It's a struggle, but she makes it a few branches up before I hear the patter of footsteps. I nimbly swing myself up onto a few of the branches. I take her across various trees. She hasn't spoken a word to me. I don't know if this is a mistake or not, but I take her to the spruce tree. I assist her as she climbs down. Once we reach the floor, many notice her. There's only one thing I can do now. She's already seen me, and she's already been here. "Welcome to Sapphire tribe," I say.
