The Destruction of Nero Umalut

Chapter II

 

Blinking open her eyes, Pewter tried to figure out where exactly she was, like Sister Copper always told her. Lying down on her back, straightened out, and looking up at pine trees. The sky was obscured. Below her, she could feel damp, rotting wood. It smelled of decay and old leaves. She stood up and realized she was on a long, winding road. Wood, not pavement like path. Did Nero know-

 

 

 

Where was Nero? She looked around frantically. The sun was shining. That meant she’d been in overnight. Her crossbow was gone. How, Pewter wondered, did she get here? She thought back to the night before.

 

Nero had gone off the path with nary a word to tell her, and she’d been alone for about twenty minutes, wandering up and down the same length. Then there was that huge furry beast. What did Nero always call them? Splendid? That was it. It lumbered after her and…that was all she could remember. ‘

 

 

 

Maybe it was memory loss from the shock. Did Nero save her? Where was he, then? And he always told her that path was the only road in the forest. But then what was this one?

 

Pewter shook her head and started making her way down the road. It had to end sometime, and one of the ends probably fed into the village. Her village was the only one this close to the forest, besides City.

 

A leaf fell and she jumped. “Don’t do that,” she told herself sternly. “It’ll be a long walk if you jump at every little thing that makes a noise.”

 

 

 

And the other end should go into the Main road that led to City and civilization. That one would take a few days, so if the trip in the direction she was going took longer than an hour she’d have to turn around.

 

 

 

But there was no way of knowing where she was on the road. She could be anywhere. Even by the City end. Pewter sighed in frustration and stomped her foot. Where was Nero when you needed him? She considered yelling but then thought better of it.

 

 

 

“Don’t call for me, unless you’re on path,” she could almost hear Nero advising. “You never know what kind of monsters could be out there listening.”

 

 

 

Right, and this wasn’t the path. This was a random crumbling road. Which way to go? Pewter picked left and started walking. Hopefully this would be the direction to the village. With a quick look back she broke into a quick run and stopped just as quickly when she ran straight into something.

 

 

 

“Oomph!” said the something.

 

 

 

“Ah! Sorry, sorry,” said Pewter, stumbling back and looking at the roadblock.