Phrocylan & The Tree of Life (The Spirit of the Tree Book 1)

Chapter Ten: Campshift

»»Phrocylan««

I looked at Molto, and then Cylla.

They seemed to have another silent conversation. I hated it when they did that, but I didn't push for what they were thinking about.

I waited for them to explain. None of them did.

Instead, Molto just walked back out. Cylla looked at me with sympathy, and I'd do the same if I had a mirror. But I didn't, which was also probably good for my own dignity too.

"How are you now?" I asked.

"Better than before. Is your...?" She didn't finish the thought, but I knew what she was asking. Is your memory back? No, I thought. It's not.

But a little bit was. I remembered me and 3 others- Cylla, Ru, and Agasthus, going on a quest with our weapons and a camp tent folder.

"I wish." I replied, still feeling a bit dizzy and in pain. She must have seen how exhausted I was, so she told me to rest.

After resting we were told that camp was shifting tonight, a bit earlier than planned since the Army had caught up with us. We told them how we held them off, and that it was okay they could not come to our aid.

In reality, I felt angry, and sad at them, for not coming quick. They didn't come at all. Then I felt angry at myself for being angry at them. Then I felt angry at myself for being angry at myself. It was a loop.

After a few minutes of anger, I let go of the thought and offered help in shifting, though I had not the strength, and fortunately, the campers told me to rest. We continued our search for Nyacin, though some campers told us he went into overdrift- a fancy word for 'sleeping in a secret place because very tired; will come back once energy restored'

Eager and Molto occasionally went out, but came back empty-handed.

At sunset, we all packed up and got ready to move.

I was in charge of moving the ground logs we used for keeping off water and agricultural fields, Cylla and Hectar went to work on picking up camp tents, and every person was soon on some duty. Some lifted logs, some tents, some hearths, some other things and what-not.

The biggest chain was the Weapons chain, around 10 campers were assigned to carry the weapons, and there were so many they would have to make at least 3 trips back and forth to get them all into all the chariots.

Yes, we used chariots. We can't ask our owl friends to help us at all times, they need rest too. And they were exhausted from searching for Nyacin and getting information on the Whalius' army.

Finally, just as night took over and the moon was bright white, we got moving.

I was in line with Cylla, Yorul, and Hectar. Yorul was an old camper, maybe around 17 or 18, with pale yellow eyes and dark black hair. He usually wore a green polo shirt and jeans, but today he was wearing a white t-shirt and black jeans. Hectar wore her usual bronze armor and silver axe, and Cylla was in her casual wear, with an orange shirt with a girl with an axe design with the imprint "Can I axe you a question?" on it (Smart, and deadly.) and blue leggings/camo pants, difficult to choose which, and a knife in the shape of an axe- so a small axe, not a knife, at her side. Her hair was pulled back in a curly braid, and spilled over one of her shoulders. Her leg had healed enough for her to walk and jog a little.

She looked incredible- as in, casual, of course. Nothing else, obviously. Pfft.

"So, any word on Nyacin?" she asked wistfully.

I was of course on the search team, some of them, at least, but I didn't have much luck. "Nope. But I'm sure he's fine, probably still in overdrift." I replied.

She sighed, and sadly said: "It's going to be a long walk."

"You bet.", said Yorul.

I swear he was occasionally looking at Hectar, trying to walk as close to her as possible (wink, wink) and Hectar seemed to like the attention.

"You guys go ahead, me and Yorul will continue in the back." Said Hectar.

Real subtle, Hectar, good job. Then she winked at me and gestured a sign I shouldn't tell you about.

Me and Cylla walked ahead of them, now shoulder to shoulder. Surprisingly, neither of us seemed uncomfortable about it. It seemed like we'd gone to battle thousands of times before, side by side.

I wondered how good friends we were before..

"Close friends." She said, as if reading my mind. "We were close friends."

I took a second to realise what she was on about, "What? Oh. Can you read minds?" I asked.

She laughed and hit my shoulder (no, it did not hurt.) "No! I can just.. read expressions of my friends, very well." She looked at me with a tinge of sadness in her eyes, as if going back in the memory lane.

I was warmed with her calling me a friend, but I felt bad for not remembering anything. "I'm sorry, for not remembering anything"

"Hey, not your fault. We just gotta find what or who would be such a fool to burden themselves with an idiot's memory." She said, suppressing her smile.

I should've been angry? Frustrated? Annoyed? But nope, I just laughed.

"Okay okay, I agree on that one." I replied.

We both laughed and talked the way there, I glanced back and saw Hectar and Yorul holding hands behind us, talking calmly as well.

That's when things went south...