Celestial Descendant

Chapter 3 Echoes of Death

As the bandits fled from the desolate remnants of Rivermarch battlefield, the thick trees of Felmoor Forest rose to meet them, their gnarled branches tangling overhead into a canopy of shadow. It grew cooler; the air was tinged with the earthy scent of dampened soil, mixed with the crispness of leaves. The boy just continued to walk, silent, the turmoil of uncertainty and confusion churning within him.

Kael took point, his boots crunching softly against the underbrush as they went. "Keep your eyes open," he warned, casting a wary glance back at his companions. "Felmoor has its share of monsters. Never let your guard down, even around the smaller ones. They may seem harmless, but when cornered, they can deliver a deceptively savage bite."

Thug 1 nodded, nudging his pack. "Last time I was here, a whole bunch of us came across a nest of goblins. They were setting traps everywhere and before we could spit we were up to our knees in trouble.

Thug 2 gave an ominous chuckle. "Goblins aren't the worst of it, though. If we run across one of them bigger beasts, we're in for a world of trouble. They're smart and work together. You never know they're coming till it's long past too late."

The boy listened with rapt attention, trying to absorb the snippets of wisdom they shared. Every single word stitched together pieces of the world out there, beyond his current life-a world full of dangers and mysteries.

As they went deeper into the forest, the shadows grew longer and the undergrowth stirred with unseen life. The bandits continued talking but now turned the subject to the notorious name of the forest.

"I've always felt that Felmoor had a certain charm to it, despite the dangers within," Thug 1 said reflectively, his eyes darting upwards toward the dense canopy overhead. "It's like the forest is alive with its own spirit. You can almost smell the magic in the air, even though to go out isn't without risk at times."

Kael snorted. "Charm? I'll take safety over charm anytime. These are woods that can swallow you whole if you're not careful. Just remember, the deeper we go in, the more we'll be in a region of anything can call home-goblins or worse.

Felmoor Forest was notorious for concealing a myriad of monsters, each categorized into ten distinct ranks. The depths of this woodland were most frequently inhabited by creatures of Ranks 1 and 2. Rank 1 monsters, whose strength fell below that of the average male human, were generally non-aggressive, striking only when provoked. Among the inhabitants were horned rabbits and slimes, commonly found as prey for the more fearsome beasts that wandered the forest.

In contrast, rank 2 monsters had the strength of an average human and enough intelligence to use tools and work in groups. Those that fell under this category included goblins and lizardmen that put up traps in wait for naive travelers. It was truly rare to find a rank 3 monster in the woods; those were man-sized or larger creatures with the ability to cast magic, as they usually went about claiming dominion over regions with rich resources.

Continuing further, the boy was only too aware of the rope binding his hands, a constant reminder of a new reality. He tugged at it absently-a confusion, not discontent. The boy's mind wandered with every image and sound around him in the forest. The leaves whispered, and the calls of faraway animals sounded so alien and familiar at once that they conjured an unusual mix of fear and curiosity within him.

The path turned in and out through the trees, and with every step, it seemed as though the forest itself came closer, a living being filled with secrets wanting to spill. The boy watched around him, taking in the play of light and shadow so delicately there, the changes in the air from every soft breeze, and the riotous greens and browns composing the world besides the bandits' coarse laughter and rough banter.

As they made their way deeper into the heart of Felmoor Forest, the air changed from that heavy tension to a soft release of their fears. The rustling of leaves and muffled calls of creatures afar stirred around them, the path ahead curling and coiling beneath the dense press of trees above. They journeyed on for some time in this manner, the boy not speaking, his eyes watchful, still puzzling at the strange sensations that enveloped him, the binding rope constricting his wrists.

But then Kael froze, his hand rising in a silencing gesture. The others pulled up, their breath catching as they looked out into the underbrush. Right before them, two horned rabbits grazed silently, their little bodies nuzzling tender grassy shoots, quite oblivious to the presence of the humans not far away.

"This is our chance," Kael whispered, his eyes shining with a predator's light. "We have to find food before night falls.

"I'll take the one on the left," Thug 1 whispered, watching the rabbit unblinkingly.

"I will have the one on the right; I shall not let him slip away," said Thug 2, clinging as tight as possible to the bow.

"Good. Fire on my signal," Kael ordered, his tone heavy with expectation.

The boy watched, fascinated, as his curiosity was thus set aflame. The rabbits were rather cute-their little noses twitching-but the air was fraught with anticipation of the hunt that these bandits would effect.

"On three," Kael whispered quietly. "One... two... three!

Two arrows cut across the air, splitting the distance that lay between them and their intended targets. Thug 1's arrow hit its mark, striking the first rabbit with a soft thud as the creature fell lifeless to the ground, where the second rabbit took off in the opposite direction.

"Damn it! You missed!" Kael shouted, his frustration boiling over. "What exactly were you aiming at?"

"It slipped! I swear!" cried Thug 2, his grip on the bow faltering.

Before Thug 2 could utter a word, Kael snatched the bow from his hand, his face twisted in annoyance. "I'll do it myself!" he snarled, drawing an arrow from his quiver. In one smooth motion, he let fly and hit the fleeing rabbit with a blur of fur and dust as the small beast crumpled to the ground.

As Kael approached the fallen animals, deftly he set to work skinning the rabbits with quick fingers. The little boy watched fascinated. At first, the presence of the two rabbits-one unmoving and dead, the other being skillfully gutted-didn't instill fear within him; it was just a series of unusual movements unfolding before his eyes. Then, when the blood spread on the soil of the forest, something started to gnaw at him.

Kael's knife shimmered as it cut through flesh, and the boy's eyes went wide in a burgeoning realization. This was death, unvarnished and immediate. The sheer finality hit him like a thunderclap, and his heart raced-not from fear, but from the profundity of weight that began to rest upon his small shoulders. Memories of his brother flickered in his mind, vivid images of laughter and warmth suddenly eclipsed by the chilling reality of his loss: his brother was gone, left forever on the battlefield. And in that realization, the weight fell deeply inside him, molding the innocent curiosity on the boy's face into profound horror.

Overwhelmed, he started to panic as the weight of his new comprehension came crashing over him like a wave. He screamed, flailing on the ground, trying to flee from the reality that life could be so easily snuffed out.

"Hold him down!" Kael yelled, his voice laced with urgency. There was a quick movement from the bandits in pinning the boy and slapping his mouth to stop the cries before they could attract some monster that might have been lurking nearby. But despite their combined strength, he fought back with a ferocity that trumped their own: this deceptively fragile body hid the potency of his remarkable power.

"Damn it, he's stronger than he appears!" Thug 1 grunted, wrestling with the boy's thrashing limbs.

The patience of Kael wore thin, as he resisted obstinately in their grasp. "Enough!" he growled, and his face hardened. In a flash, Kael struck the boy with a blow on one side of the head, sending him straight into unconsciousness.

As the boy fell silent, the bandits exchanged nervous glances with one another, and once again, the forest below grew still. A lesson had been taught—the fragility of life, the suddenness of death—but it was one the boy would not fully appreciate for some time to come.