Chapter 1: Oud in the Harii Forest

Oud smeared the rough black paste on his skin, it's smokey scent filling his nostrils and reminding him of last night's bonfire. The charcoal mixture would make him nearly invisible at night in any regular forest, but in the dense Harii Forest that protected his city, he would be invisible even during the day. The trunks grew so close and the boughs so thick, that sunlight rarely touched the soft earth of the forest floor. 

As the oldest, and so far only, Scion of his family, Oud was bound to serve as a Harii from the moment his potential had manifested. At the tender age of seven, his eyes first shifted to their reddish hue, and Oud immediately began his training. Spear, javelin, axe, sword, and club were the tools of the Harii warriors. He was taught the layout of nearly every inch of the forest, every secret handhold on every tree, every hidden cache of food and weapons, and every trap on every trail. He was taught how to climb a tree swiftly and silently, how to sit as still as a corpse, and how to kill viciously from the shadows. 

Most of all, he was taught to master his Scionic eyes. The secret techniques of his Immanis heritage were made known to him: power over the body, and the power to instill fear in his enemies. It was said that Immanis himself, thousands of years ago, could tear great trees from the earth with his bare hands, roots and all. And with a glance, he once sent legions of soldiers retreating in fear, winning a war before ever drawing his weapon. Oud never saw a Scion with that kind of power, but they all believed it was possible and they all trained like they could achieve it.

All of his preparation led Oud to today, this evening, when he would join the ranks of his Harii brethren for the first time. The Harii were the most elite soldier class in all of (city). To be chosen to join their ranks was among the dreams of every young boy old enough to pick up a stick. Their prowess was legendary and their role in protecting the city was invaluable. Only Scions could be considered for a position, and only the most powerful were allowed in. Oud's heart fluttered with pride as he considered the honors that would be poured upon him this day.

He finished painting his body, making sure that it was thicker around his eyes. The contrast would make his eyes shine brighter in the darkness. It was important for trespassers to see the Harii's eyes glowing red from the shadows of the trees. That alone was enough to deter most invaders.

Oud left his small room for the kitchen to tell his mother goodbye. It would be a week before he saw her again. 

"How do I look?" He asked, extending his arms out to either side. He was mostly naked, save for a dark cloth around his groin. The charcoal paste was smoothed thick and even from his face to his bare feet.

 

"Perfect! You're father will be proud." She made a move to kiss him, but he shied away, fearing she would smear the paint.

"Oh I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking." She apologized, "Can you take food with you?"

She gestured to a fresh loaf of bread that had been smelling up the house for the last hour. Oud made to decline the offer, but his growling stomach betrayed him.

"They'll have food rationed to us, but I suppose I can eat on the way to the meeting grounds. Thank you, mother." 

Oud grabbed the loaf of bread with a smile of gratitude, said his goodbyes to his mother and siblings, and stepped out the front door.

*****

The Meeting Grounds was the simple name given to a small field about a twenty minutes walk south of town. It was a place for various military units to gather and receive orders before venturing off on their individual assignments. Half of the group had already arrived before Oud. Most of them were painted similarly but a select few were dressed in regular clothes that were old and tattered. 

Corpse duty...I hope I get a few missions under my belt before they make me do that.

Within five minutes the rest of the group arrived in the field. Their leader, Captain Godmund, arrived with a group of servants and a wagon carrying packs and weapons for each soldier. He was a monster of a man, a perfect physical specimen as far as the Immanis were concerned. He was thick framed and heavily muscled and stood just over seven feet tall. Oud figured he must have weighed well over three hundred pounds, but he would never ask the Captain such a question. He knew from training with him that the man moved with the grace of someone half his size, but the well known secret of the Immanis was their complete mastery of the body.

His body was covered in scars from years of combat, scars that were thick and still visible under the charcoal body paint. His head was mostly shaved save for a long patch over his right ear that was done up into a tight bun, indicating his rank as captain. His cold, always glaring eyes seemed to constantly accuse those around him of being Inferior, and based on what Oud had seen throughout his years of training with the giant, he guessed that they were usually right.

As the servants passed out equipment, their captain turned to address them.

"Brothers! We have several new faces in the ranks today, so for the benefit of those I will be giving a rundown of the equipment." His booming voice echoed across the field and all warriors young and old gave immediate attention.

"Each pack will contain a weeks worth of food and several packages of herbs prepared by our sage. Take special note of the herbs, one pack will keep you alive if you are close to death, one pack will kill you if you find yourself captured by an enemy, and one pack will help you stave off the need for sleep."

Oud looked through his pack quickly to make sure he could tell the different herbs apart, they were wrapped in cloth and color coded, making it easy.

"Each of you will receive a spear and a sidearm, and the short javelins are reserved for those on corpse duty. Most of you already know your positions, they should be the same as last time. New recruits will follow me. For most of us this will be a days journey. Remember your brothers are waiting for you to relieve them so be quick, but above all else be silent."

The majority of the unit dispersed, moving with conviction to their assigned areas. Oud looked around at the remaining members and counted ten, including himself. It was difficult to tell through the thick paint, but a few of the new warriors were visibly nervous. Captain Godmund made a gesture indicating they all were to gather around him. 

"Have any of you seen one of these before?" The Captain pulled a small stone out of his pack, it was covered in runes that pulsed faintly with green glow. 

"Aye! That's a whisper stone!" One man blurted louder than he probably should.

Captain Godmund shot him a threatening look and the man looked down in shame, immediately knowing his mistake.

"You're right." The Captain offered the man the stone, "I get a feeling you'll need this more than most."

The warrior sheepishly took the stone, and Captain Godmund pulled more out of his pack.

"I have one of these for each of you. As long as they remain in your possession you will be able to communicate with me mentally. We like to give them to the new Harii for their first few outings. It is difficult for some to be so quiet for so long at a time." He pointedly looked at the loud warrior, who flushed red but held his gaze. It was important for the Immanis to own their mistakes, and this warrior seemed to be doing a respectable job of that.

The Captain nodded.

"Keep in mind, you can only communicate with me, not each other. We've found that many of you have a lot of questions in the first few missions, and this is the only way I can safely answer them in the field. Once you can be trusted to be on your own, there will be no need to communicate with each other, our missions are very clear and require no interpretation or discussion. In fact, after you do it for enough years it can become almost boring."

Captain Godmund got a far away look in his eye for a moment before he continued.

"Do any of you have any questions before we begin our assignment?"

Oud raised his hand. There was something that he had been thinking about for a while now, but had never gotten an opportunity to ask.

"Yes?"

"I've heard rumors that there has been a lot more activity in the forest lately, is this true?"

"Yes," Captain Godmund sighed, "I don't know if people have recently become more stupid or more desperate, but over the last few months we have seen a significant increase in intruders."

Even though the new recruits had spent long years training in the Harii Forest, they were forbidden to enter the last ten percent, the parts closest to the outside border. This is where the majority of the Harii took their positions and where most of the combat with intruders took place. 

Several more hands slowly went up and the Captain motioned them to put them down.

"To answer your questions, yes. It is almost assured that you will be seeing combat on this mission. At least one of us has dealt with intruders every day for the last six weeks. Any other questions?"

Oud raised his hand once again.

"Are we expecting anyone this week?" No one was allowed to enter the forest without the express permission of King Geriad, Oud thought it would be important to know if anyone was coming, so there would be no confusion if they came across someone.

"No. We are expecting no one. Any time someone receives permission I am notified immediately, and then I will notify my team. There are always specific dates and times set aside for those who are permitted to enter, and those are planned weeks in advance. Anyone you see out there that is not Harii is an intruder and an enemy and is to be dealt with accordingly."

Oud nodded. It seemed strange that so many people have been turning up recently. All Immanis were taught at a young age that the rest of the world was terrified of their people. No one had ever attacked Golgol before because the Immanis were thought to be too powerful. And Oud could not remember ever reading about anyone making it through the forest successfully. In fact, the only people that were ever invited in were traders. So why the sudden increase in activity? Were spies trying to infiltrate the great city of Golgol? Or were the Immanis not nearly as feared by the outside world as Oud was taught?

Either way, I'm sure to find out soon enough.

"Any final questions?"

No one raised their hands.

"Alright, then let's move."

Captain Godmund led the group into the forest, moving at a considerable speed. He said the journey to their posts would only take a day, but that was measured by Harii time. A Harii could do it in a day because they were so familiar with the forest, but for anyone else it might take several, assuming they didn't get lost outright. Even the general population of Golgol couldn't find their way through the forest effectively. They usually needed a Harii escort to avoid getting lost. 

No matter how many times Oud entered the Harii Forest he was always amazed by the silence. After about a hundred yards past the treeline the forest started to thicken, the trees grew closer together, and then everything just stopped. Like a wall of soundlessness, there were birds chirping and leaves rustling in the breeze and then just... nothing. Oud always thought it felt like dunking his head underwater, the complete lack of sound. Everything gone but the beating of his heart. He immediately became more conscious of himself, how he moved, the steps he took, even his breathing. For every misstep, every broken twig underfoot or unintentional sigh, was so much more intrusive and foreign here. 

Oud remembered his preliminary missions that usually involved escorting Immanis officials through the forest. Many of them, even warriors, weren't ever trained to move through the forest as silently as the Harii. This proved difficult for some members of the elite force for they considered their Immanis brothers to be blundering fools in such circumstances. Many whispered arguments were had among these trees between intolerant, overzealous trainees and their wards. 

There were quite a few trainees that couldn't stand the silence of the forest. The first test of the Harii involved simply staying in the forest for a week. Fire was not permitted because it was loud and bright and gave away positions. So there was nothing to break the cold, dark, silence. Oud remembered the screams of warriors on the fourth day who could no longer stand it. Once the first one broke the silence several more followed. The screams echoed from all around and for fear that the silence would drive them mad, they quit the program and rejoined the general ranks.

No one knew for sure why the forest was so quiet. It was said by some that the Immanis ancestors over hunted the area to the point that no wildlife could live here. That didn't make sense to Oud, because there were plenty of animals towards the borders on the edges of the forest. It was said by others that an ancient sage cursed the land with silence in order to ward off invaders, and caused the trees to grow close and thick to drive invaders to lose themselves in a living labyrinth. This could be possible, but Oud had never heard of such a powerful sage. The third theory, and the one that oud thought was most likely true was that the Harii themselves instill so much fear in all living things, by virtue of their scionic eyes, that all animal life ran away to the outskirts of the forest. 

Oud saw Immanis Scions do some blatantly terrifying things with those eyes during the last few years. There was one recruit that was kicked out of the Harii late in their training. He had been giving Captain Godmund trouble from the beginning because this warrior came from a family with a long line of powerful eyes. In his defense, he was quite a gifted Scion, but those gifts came with a hefty chip on his shoulder. He often disagreed with the Captain's training regiment, saying it was weak.

One day the Captain decided to humor him and gave him a chance to lead the training. His methods were too intense and nearly killed a weaker recruit. When the Captain reprimanded him, the warrior fought back and Captain Godmund shut him down in the most decisive and effortless way Oud could have imagined.

His eyes had flashed their deep crimson and a wave of fear washed over the entire unit. Oud remembered flinching reflexively, as well as noticing several others doing the same. The gaze seemed to pierce the insolent warrior to his soul. He fell to his knees and soiled himself, he then wept openly before passing out in the mud. In a combat situation he would have been as good as dead. 

Oud never knew what happened to him after that, he never saw him again. Oud assumed he was demoted to the general ranks and was serving as a warrior in a different part of the country. That's how it usually worked among the Immanis...

Following Captain Godmund's pace, the unit made quick ground. By the time they stopped to take their meal, they had traveled over two thirds of the way to their destination. By nightfall they were so close that Oud could no longer recognize his position in the forest. 

The Captain decided to wait until morning to relieve the other unit, so Oud and his group prepared for sleep. Select trees were designated as bedding areas and marked with a sign on the tree trunk. It was nearly imperceptible to those who didn't already know what they were looking for. Oud found a bedding tree not far from the Captain's tree. He felt along the roots at the bottom, in the soft earth, and came across a rope. Pulling the rope revealed a net woven with dirt and moss on the outside, covering a shallow pit of soft earth. Oud secured his weapons in the pit close to where his hands would be and then slid inside, pulling the net over himself like a blanket and using his pack as a pillow.

*****

The following morning went smoothly. Captain Godmund's unit relieved the previous one. They were now able to take the next week off at home resting and preparing for when they came back to relieve Oud and the rest of his group. Oud didn't know the names of any of the warriors of the other unit, they rarely interacted with each other outside of switching positions. 

Captain Godmund gave the Captain of the other unit a whisper stone and they had a silent conversation. With nods and gestures, the warriors of the other unit waved and set off through the forest.

Oud was watching them leave when he and all of the other warriors in his unit collectively jumped at the sound of Captain Godmund's voice intruding into their mind.

"Captain Eljur informed me that there were signs of movement through the area just east of here this morning. They chose not to pursue because they are...off today."

Even though the Captain's voice was echoing through his head, Oud could clearly pick up on the exasperation and annoyance in his voice.

"I have to stay behind to get everyone set up, I need four warriors to sort this out as quickly as possible. Who wants to see action on their first day?"

Oud thought of his mother's face smiling at him proudly and he shot his hand up. 

"Good. Who else?"

Several more hands came up, and Captain Godmund picked three more. He looked into Oud's eyes and Oud heard his voice in his head once more.

"Do you know what to do?"

Oud nodded.

"No survivors. Make sure of it. And leave the bodies, I'll take care of them later."

Oud nodded and set off with his small group.

*****

It didn't take them very long before they found the tracks. There seemed to be four individuals. Based on the size of the feet and the depth of the impressions, Oud and his team determined that they were all men, heavy men at that. They were moving fast, but the disorienting forest had caused a slight curve in their direction. 

If they continue on like this, they will run themselves into a full circle. Oud thought.

His companions seemed to notice the same thing he did. They followed the tracks for a while longer until they were not only certain that their prey was running in a circle, but also certain of where they were most likely to cross their own tracks. Oud motioned for two of the warriors to stay in that spot, while the third and himself continued following the tracks. His companions agreed and two of them swiftly climbed a tree and disappeared in the canopy. 

Oud and his companion, Kual, continued on. Kual was a bit older than Oud, and a bit smaller as well. They had gotten to know each other decently over the last year, and Oud knew his skills in combat and stealth were dependable. The tracks began to be noticeably fresher and the two slowed down and drew their short swords.

Kual indicated that he would follow the group directly and then motioned for Oud to move around to the side. Oud understood his intentions. They needed to scare these invaders into completing the circle leading to the ambush. Oud's job would be to ensure that no one broke off to the side. 

Within a few minutes they came across the group. There were not four, as oud had suspected, but five members. One was either unconscious or dead and being carried over the shoulder of another. They were all dressed in the same style of clothing, with the same style of breastplate, except the unconscious man had a massive patch of a blue flower on the left shoulder of his uniform. 

He must be their leader. They must greatly respect him to be carrying him through this forest.

This was a foreign idea to the immanis. If someone was injured so grievously that they would be a detriment or couldn't defend themselves, they were usually left behind.

Oud continued to follow the group, waiting for Kual's signal. They moved so loudly that Oud had no trouble keeping himself hidden. After a few moments a crack resounded through the forest, it was loud to Oud, but for the prey it was just enough to raise suspicion. One member seemed to notice and paused to look around. Kual was behind the group, but they didn't seem to notice. Oud could see him clearly, he knew what to look for. Kual was slowly moving toward them, waiting for the perfect moment to light up his eyes. 

The suspicious man was a few steps behind the rest of the group when Kual struck. Oud couldn't see the light from his vantage point, but he heard the scream.

"RUN!"

The lone man sprinted towards the group who all turned to see the red eyes glowing in the dark. They took off in a straight line from Kual, running deeper into the forest and not in the direction of the ambush. Oud rushed to intercept from the side, reaching within himself to his scionic power. When he got close enough his eyes shone crimson and the man screamed again. 

"DEMONS! DEMONS IN THE FOREST!"

The group did their best to turn to avoid Oud, and went precisely in the direction he intended them to. Oud and Kual followed them, staying just close enough to instill fear and keep them running, but not so close that they might attack. As skilled as Oud and Kual were in combat, facing four trained soldiers in armor was a reckless risk to take.

They chased the soldiers through the forest, easily herding them towards their trap. Fear is a powerful weapon, and no one was trained to utilize it better than a Harii. Oud and Kual moved much quicker than their prey, they were able to be in front of the group and then behind in what seemed like an instant. The two warriors would flicker their powers off and back on again, moving in between flashes, while their bodies remained practically invisible to their fleeing enemy. This gave the illusion that they were surrounded on every side. 

Those tactics, coupled with the unnatural fear that emanated from their glowing red eyes, bred hysteria among the soldiers. They ran for their lives blindly through the undergrowth, oblivious to any other need or threat. So oblivious that the two In the front didn't even feel the blades enter the gaps in the necks of their armor. They were both dead before hitting the ground.

Oud had seen his comrades drop from the tree above and immediately kill the two soldiers. The one carrying their leader dropped him, and the two invaders engaged the Harii. Oud could tell that they were well trained fighters. The way they deftly handled their blades, parrying and covering each other's weak points told him they had been fighting together for a long time. They were so well coordinated with one another that the young Harii were struggling to keep up. They would have likely been overtaken had not Oud and Kual been lurking in the darkness.

Neither of the soldiers were aware of the two as they stepped up behind them and slid their blades across their throats. 

The four nodded at one another silent congratulations on a job well done. Kual gestured to Oud and pointed at the leader on the ground. Oud knelt down beside him and worked his hand under the plate armor around the neck, looking for a pulse. He was still alive. The man stirred a bit as Oud readied his blade, and just as he slid the tip into his throat, the man's eyes opened. 

The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Oud watched the light leave his eyes as blood frothed from his twitching mouth, and felt a sick twisting in his stomach that shouldn't be there. Oud couldn't take his eyes off of him. He didn't know how long he stared at the dead man, but it must have been too long, because one of the others tapped him on the shoulder. 

Oud looked up at the three of them staring at him expectantly. Kual gestured that they needed to go. Oud nodded and rose up. As they left the scene of battle behind them, Oud fought the temptation to look back and swallowed the rising bile at the horror of what he had done.

*****

You are reading story Oud in the Harii Forest at novel35.com

"It is a trial that all Harii must inevitably face"

That's what his mother told him.

Oud took another bite and thought about that soldier again. His bloody face had rarely left his mind during the last two weeks. He knew he killed two people, but the first one didn't stick with him the way the second one did. When he got home after his first week, he asked his mother about what happened.

"Taking a life in such a way is difficult for the Immanis." She had said, "We are a proud and honorable people, but the Harii have a different calling than the rest of us."

Oud didn't understand.

"It is your job to protect our country through any means necessary. What is dishonorable for the rest of the Immanis is honorable for the Harii. We all understand this. It is a sacrifice you must make."

I guess it's honorable for me to murder from the shadows.

He took another bite. The chewy, dried meat had no flavor, but it wouldn't have mattered if it did. Oud didn't care, he could barely taste anything. 

He looked over at Kual crouching in the bough next to his. He was alert and watching. Captain Godmund was so impressed with Kual and Oud's success in their excursion that he made them partners and let them go unsupervised. He had rarely checked on them at all this week.

I wonder if he feels the same way…I wonder if we all do...

But Oud would never ask. 

He could picture many Harii seeing it as a sign of a lack of commitment to the cause. The Harii had very strict rules of loyalty. If Oud was wrong and he was the only one who felt this way, voicing It might just be enough to get him demoted.

No, it has to just be me. I'll just have to get used to it. It was my first time, of course it's going to be difficult to deal with. The next one probably will be to. But slowly it'll get easier, and eventually I'll be as hard as Captain Godmund.

That thought didn't give Oud as much comfort as he hoped it would.

He took another chewy bite.

Kual was facing west, scanning the forest for any sign of a threat, and he had been for several hours. Oud was supposed to be looking east, but while lost in thought he was neglecting his duties. He looked down to see a group of three people making their way directly toward their tree. They were much closer than they should have been, if Oud were doing his job he would have alerted Kual a long time ago.

Oh not again.

Oud had been praying all week that they wouldn't come across anyone this time. He glanced back at Kual to see if he noticed anything. Being the obedient person that he was he was completely oblivious to anything going on in this direction.

Good job, Kual.

Oud climbed down to a lower branch to get a better look at these invaders, and what he saw shook him to the core.

It was a woman.

She was the most enchanting creature he had ever laid eyes upon. Her slight frame was in stark contrast to even the smallest Immanis woman. In fact, she would be considered frail by most Immanis standards. Her hair was long and straight, free of any bond or style, and, curiously, green. As she walked it seemed to shimmer and shift shades erratically, like it was dancing. Oud wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light, or if she were some mystical creature from beyond his knowledge.

Her most Intriguing feature by far however, were her eyes. In the darkness of the forest they seemed to glow an ethereal green, different and more vibrant than any shade assumed by her hair. Even from his high and distant vantage point Oud could make them out perfectly as though he were standing but a breath away, gazing deeply into them.

She must be a Scion of some kind he thought, only a Scion could have eyes like hers.

She was accompanied by two individuals with hoods covering their faces. Based on their builds, Oud could tell they were men. They could be bodyguards, but they didn't seem to have any weapons. 

If those are bodyguards, they are very poor ones.

Oud watched her for a while without motioning to Kual. In fact, he had become so enraptured by this fascinating foreigner he forgot that Kual was even there. It wasn't until he received a sharp jab on the shoulder from him that he started and realized what he was doing. 

Kual looked at Oud questioningly and pointed down at the group. 

Oud shrugged and shook his head. He didn't know what had gotten into himself. He had never gotten distracted by anything like that before.

Kual motioned to the group and then made killing gestures with his hands. Oud's heart dropped into his gut. This was wrong. They were obviously unarmed and obviously not a threat. But there was no reason to come to such a dangerous place without weapons of any kind, so why were they here?

Oud shook his head. He wanted to wait, he wanted to talk to them. Kual drew out a short sword and made to move forward, but Oud caught his arm.

"No" He mouthed. 

Kual stared at him in confusion and rage. The Harii rarely had to deal with insubordination, most of the warriors that were prone to such things didn't make it this far. Oud wasn't thinking about the consequences of his actions, it just felt wrong to kill them. They seemed so innocent, she seemed so innocent.

After the silent and frustrating argument, Kual crept down from their perch and took off into the forest.

He's going to go get the Captain. Oud thought, looking back at the group who had now passed his position.

If I can talk to them and figure out why they're here before the Captain gets here, maybe I can convince him to let them leave.

Oud sped along a bough and lept to the next tree, getting ahead of the group. He swung from a branch and dropped down, landing softly on the ground right in front of them.

They all started in unison. The two hooded men made to put themselves in front of the woman, but she waved them off. 

Curious

Oud paced back and forth in front of them. He knew he was staring, but there was nothing he could do about it, he couldn't look away. 

She shifted uncomfortably, and Oud suddenly became aware of his own appearance compared to hers. She wore a soft dress with a fur shawl wrapped about her shoulders. The hem was muddy and her shoes were not designed for trekking in the woods. She was wealthy. A woman like her was not accustomed to meeting armed naked men in the woods, of course she was uncomfortable. 

She visibly steeled herself. "Hello, I-"

"What are you?" Oud whispered, not meaning to interrupt. It just came out.

"Um…" She was obviously taken aback. Oud knew it was an awkward question, but he couldn't help himself. He continued to stare at her, waiting for an answer.

"I, um, I'm an Elain… my name is (name) have you ever seen one of my people before? 

Oud took a moment to answer. He remembered reading about them, but he had never seen one before.

"I have never seen any people other than my own, except for the ones we fought on my last mission."

That statement seemed to make the Elain woman uneasy again.

"Were those your people?"

"I don't know," She said, her brow furrowed in worry, "what did they look like?"

"Well...they surely didn't look like you."

"Not many from my town look like me, what were they wearing?"

"They had breastplate and weapons, one had a blue patch on his arm that looked like a flower."

Her face lit up with excitement.

"Yes! Those were town guards from my home! You said you fought them? Are they okay?"

"No. We slew them all." 

The beautiful woman's shoulders dropped and tears filled her vibrant eyes.

"I am sorry," Oud said, genuinely pained, "we did not know, we thought they were invaders."

She sniffed and one of the cloaked figures stepped forward and offered her a handkerchief. Oud felt that strange twisting in his stomach again. Was it guilt? He had no reason to feel guilt, they should have known the forest was dangerous and forbidden.

"I understand" (name) said from behind the handkerchief, "you had every right to attack armed men trespassing on your land. We know that your people have different ways than ours, I'm sure it was just a miscommunication.

The twisting was getting stronger, like a great snake coiling inside him. He didn't tell her that the men never threatened his people, that they never knew the Harii were there. That most of them died not even knowing they were in a fight. It wasn't a miscommunication, there was no communication whatsoever.

(Name) had been gone a very long time, long enough to be on his way back…

"You must leave here" Oud whispered as loudly as he dared, "you go back to where you came from this instant!."

"We can't, we came here searching for help. Our home is-"

"This forest is the most dangerous place you could ever be. You must leave as fast as possible. They'll be back soon and I fear they'll kill you all." Oud looked around behind him for any sign of the rest of the Harii, he saw nothing but that didn't matter. If Captain (name) wanted to be hidden, Oud was sure he wouldn't be able to see him.

"I don't understand, why are you so scared of the sudde-"

She stopped and her eyes widened. Oud looked to his left and Captain (name) was standing right beside him, less than an arm's reach away.

Oud, what is this? His voice echoed in Oud's mind, dripping with disappointment. 

Captain, they're not a threat. I think they need help.

Captain (name) shot him a disgusted look and pushed passed him to the strange woman. She looked like a child standing next to his massive frame.

"What desperation brought you here..." The Captain said, Oud thought he sensed pity in his voice.

"My name is (name), I am the daughter of--"

"I do not care who you are or why you are here. My question was rhetorical. It is unfortunate that you made such a foolish decision."

"Wait! Can't we just listen to them?" Oud pleaded. Captain (name) glared at him with his murderous red eyes. Oud thought they flared for a moment.

"No that is not our place. We do not Interrogate, we eliminate. We are the only thing that keeps our country safe."

"This is wrong!" Oud didn't care if his Captain did the same thing to him that he did you (name). He couldn't live with another bloody face haunting his dreams.

"No. As long as you are in my forest, under my command, the only thing that is wrong is what I say is wrong. Now you will obey or you will be removed, do you understand?" 

This time his eyes did flare. Oud felt an overwhelming sense of fear wash through his mind. His heart raced and his blood went cold. His limbs lost strength and he felt his knees hit the soft earth as he fell to the ground. For a moment he thought he might suffocate.  

Oud nodded. It was all he could do. Captain (name) was a much more powerful Scion than Oud had ever seen before.

"Good. I am not a cruel person, so I will not make you do it. (Name), take care of this woman."

(Name) stepped forward with his short sword. The usual stoney look on his face.

In a great effort of will that surprised even himself, Oud suppressed the overwhelming fear inside of him just enough to speak.

"Wait," he said, gasping for breath and dripping in cold sweat, "what if we make her a sacrifice to Torinetti?" 

Oud thought this would buy him some time, at least the days walk it would take to get back to the city. Maybe he could use that time to convince Captain (name) to hear them out.

The Captain looked at Oud, obviously impressed by his willpower. "You know, that's not a bad idea... But not her."

With unnatural agility, Captain (name) grabbed one of the servants by the back of the neck with one hand and easily forced him to his knees.

"We'll take this one back for Torinetti."

The Captain looked at Oud again, a glint of suspicion in his eye.

"Remove his eyes and tongue first, that he may not know the way to (city) nor speak any poison. When you are finished, eliminate the other two as well.

(Name) nodded and pulled out a small knife. The second servant leapt to defend the first, but (name) was too well trained. He lay sprawled on the ground in seconds. (Name) looked at Oud, a helpless pleading in her beautiful, innocent eyes. But there was nothing he could do. He couldn't even move.

As (name) approached the kneeling servant, Oud looked away. Even though he was able to protect himself from their faces, the screams of the beautiful Elain woman and her mutilated servant that were so deafening in the unnaturally silent forest, would stay in his mind forever. 

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