The Destruction of Nero Umalut

Nero made his way closer and closer to the forest. It stared over him, gloomy and ominous. He stepped a foot nearer before he lost his nerve. The sun was just setting, but the forest cast a shady pallor over the land.

Despite the menacing appearance, he had always felt a kind of…kinship with the forest. It was the one place where he felt- not exactly safe, but calm. At peace. Accepted.

“What-cha up to?” said a voice behind him. Nero jumped and turned around, coming face-to-face with Pewter. He glared at her.

“Go back home, sis, you know Mom doesn’t want you going hunting with me.”

 She tossed her hair and crossed her arms. “I’m going with you.”

Nero could be just as stubborn. “No. You’ll get tired and whiny and want to go home. And then you’ll get lost and eaten by some big scary monster.”

“Nero, I’m not six!”

“See? Whining already.” He grinned at the look on her face.

“I’m coming.”

“No. You’re not.”

Pewter held up a crossbow. “Look. I can help. And what about when you turn eighteen and get shipped off to City? I’m the next oldest. If you don’t train me we’ll have nothing to eat then. We’ll die a horrible, horrible death. And it will all be because of you.” She grinned.

Nero sighed. “Carry the bag, then.” He dropped it at her feet and headed towards the forest. He hated when she was right.

 “Come on then, slowpoke!” he called after a moment’s silence.  Starting up again, he could hear her running to catch up, and then they were in the forest and it was like a curtain had been pulled over the earth. Outside it was still sunny, but inside was dusky twilight, almost pitch black. There was a path, but it was mostly overgrown. At some points, trees lay across it with a trunk that not even the tallest man could get over. He looked over his shoulder. “You need to stay close, Pewter.”

“I know! I’m not stupid,” she retorted, coming up to walk by his side.

“Did you come here just to argue with me?”

Pewter rolled her eyes and didn’t answer. She shifted her crossbow to her right arm and patted the sheath of arrows on her back. “So, what are we looking for?”

“Any kind of monster that’s not poisonous and is big enough for our whole family to eat,” Nero replied.

Pewter shrugged. “Sounds easy. I can do that.”

Nero suddenly stopped, listening. Where were all the birds?  What animal scares away the birds? Could it-no. No way could it be a Splendid. They didn’t come this close to the border. And it couldn’t be the most dangerous creature in the forest, not the first time he brings his little sister along.