"I wouldn’t advise you to move around much in this condition; you could make things worse," Ben said, carefully helping her back inside. "Take a rest—it’s only mid-morning." He guided her to Sky’s room and laid her gently on the bed.

  "Do you need anything?" he asked.

  "I’m fine for now, I guess. I’ll wait for Sky," the girl replied, though her stomach betrayed her with a loud rumble.

  Ben smiled faintly. "Okay then, I’ll get you some soup." He left and soon returned with a plate in one hand and a chair in the other. Setting the chair down, he helped her sit upright. "No vomiting," he warned softly as he lifted the spoon.

  The aroma of the soup was deceptive—pleasant at first, but its taste was harsh, almost bitter. She didn’t vomit, but her expression told the story well enough.

  "Am I being saved only to be tortured?" she asked after the first spoonful.

  Ben chuckled. "If it makes you feel any better, Sky and I ate some too. Well… mostly me. But I wasn’t letting her off without a taste either."

  The girl looked at him steadily. "Dakota. That’s my name."

  "I was going to ask later, but nice to meet you, Dakota. My name’s Benjamin—but you can call me Ben."

  Dakota opened her mouth to reply, but Ben held up a hand. "Let’s save the conversation for later, when Sky’s around and you’re feeling stronger. For now, you need to finish this soup; it’ll help." He raised another spoonful toward her.

  "And what do I get in return?" Dakota asked, showing a flash of childish defiance.

  Ben grinned. "The biggest part of the skreevil I saw recently. How’s that for a deal?"

  "Deal," Dakota said, opening her mouth for the next spoonful.

  When the bowl was empty, Ben stood. "Rest now," he said gently, and stepped outside, placing the plate down before scanning the area.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  "Well, someone took their time," he remarked when he noticed Sky nearby, hiding her hands behind her back.

  "What do you have there?" Ben asked.

  Sky revealed a rabbit-like creature. Its ears were long, its claws sharp, its fur a mottled brown. Its eyes were glassy black, and its body bore the weight of age.

  "Is that a skreevil?" Ben asked in awe.

  "A rare one," Sky replied. "It’s old—an elder."

  Ben tilted his head toward the house. "By the way, the girl’s name is Dakota. That’s all I got out of her for now." He carefully placed the skreevil into a pot.

  "Are we using Jack’s method?" he asked.

  "Yes," Sky answered confidently. "I made sure to remember every step."

  From then until Dakota woke again in the afternoon, the only sound was the casking of the skreevil.

  Dakota stirred awake, her body lighter, her pain eased. She moved carefully toward the door, catching the sound of voices. As she drew closer, they fell silent.

  "You might as well come out," a woman’s voice called.

  Dakota opened the door, her head lowered. She glanced up only when Ben stretched his hand toward her. She stepped forward and pressed her face against his shirt.

  "Guess what?" Ben said, smiling. "Sky brought back a skreevil. An elder, no less."

  Dakota leaned closer and whispered something into his ear. His smile widened. "Don’t worry," he assured her with a soft laugh. "She’s more caring than I am."

  Sky stepped forward, her expression warm. She extended her hand. "I’m Sky. Nice to finally talk to you. I hope we’ll get along."

  "Thank you for saving me," Dakota whispered, her voice small.

  Sky ignored the handshake and pulled her into a gentle hug. "Forget about introductions and shyness. Ben and I sided with you the moment we found you." She pulled back, her tone lighter. "It’ll be dark soon—what do you say we eat together?"

  Dakota nodded, and the three moved toward the table.

  That night, the small house filled with the aroma of cooked skreevil. As promised, Dakota received the largest share. The three ate in easy silence, though laughter broke through when Ben teased Sky about her cooking. For Dakota, it was more than a meal—it was acceptance.

  When the plates were empty, Sky leaned forward. Her tone softened. "So, Dakota… since we’re friends now, can you tell us your story?"

  Dakota hesitated , her hands tightening around the edge of the table.

  " I ... don't remember much, " She began slowly , each word dragging out as if she had to pull it from somewhere far away

  " Just that my family was being chased by a man.".

  Her eyes flickered , unfocussed as if searching for details that refused to come.

  " I don't ....I don't remember my mom but my dad " she paused, swallowing hard , her voice lowering to a whisper " His last words were .... don't look back"

  Her face tightened , her breath uneven , " By the time I stumbled into this place, thorns had ... cut me everywhere . I ...I just remember pain then darkness."

  She looked down , her voice almost breaking " And then I woke up, still alive."

  Her body slumped forward onto the table , sleep overtaking her before either Ben or sky could speak.

  Ben lifted her gently. "The story must’ve worn her out," he murmured, carrying her to bed as Sky followed.

  Elsewhere, a man stood looking at a poster, his eyes distant, mind adrift. His frame was tall, muscular, marked by red hair and a burned hand.

  "Joe! Joe!" a younger voice called.

  Joe turned. A man in his twenties jogged up.

  "Yes, Eddie?"

  "The poster shows our money, not our deaths," Eddie said. "And the lady’s been calling for you. The Guild Master’s ready to talk."

  Joe climbed the stairs and knocked on the fourth door.

  "Come in," came the voice.

  Joe entered, taking a seat. "It doesn’t feel fair to call an adventurer in. It makes it look suspicious , almost like giving favors."

  The Guild Master met his eyes. "Six adventurers have already died at the hands of one Nyrrak. I don’t know how many others it’s killed, but if those young ones want to speak up, let them."