The night had engulfed the sky of Umberfall, painting its woods in an impassable darkness. Yet four figures on two horses navigated their way through the shadow-drowned forest.

  One guided by his superhuman senses, the other through sheer habit and familiarity. The eerie silence of the woods was broken by one of them speaking:

  "Lior, are there ghosts or monsters in these woods?" a small figure asked.

  "There are no such things as ghosts adults make them up to scare children like you. As for monsters, the short answer: no. Long answer: yes," another small figure replied.

  "Can your long answer be any longer, Lior?"

  "Lea, was it?"

  "Applea. But sure call me Lea—I don't mind."

  "... My terms with Miss Elsyn and Sir Corvus don't involve satiating your curiosities. So, please refrain from addressing me."

  "Suit yourself; I won't help you the next time Corvus bullies you," she scoffed.

  The other three turned their attention toward her:

  Why would he bully me?

  Why would I bully him?

  Why would he bully him?

  They soon reached a small clearing spacious enough to house the four of them. Concealed by trees on all sides, it served as their temporary resting place. They tied the horses on a stump and cleared the ground of any harmful objects.

  Lior grabbed a bedding from his satchel, spread it beside a tree, and reclined on it without a word.

  The trio noted how he avoided acknowledging them at all. Nothing about his behavior seemed wrong—yet everything was.

  "I'm going for a quick recon of the area," Corvus said.

  "I will set up camp here," Elsyn said.

  "I'll climb the trees for fun—I mean, to give us eyes from above," Lea added.

  Each occupied themselves with their tasks as time trickled on.

  Clouds slowly drifted in the night sky; some formless, others with shapes so outlandish as to awe even the most cynical beings. Yet despite their majestic forms, they were hollow within, moving without purpose—forever doing the wind's bidding.

  Before they could ever realise their shape, their individuality, they dissipated into vapor and air.

  Resting beneath them, Corvus Ashford resembled these pitiful clouds. For all his might, he did not know what his life was. What it amounted to.

  Countless corpses in his past, countless more awaiting him. Was that all he was?

  An appliance of death? Like Kharos.

  He felt uneasy.

  Glancing at the siblings sleeping together, he asked, "Are you awake?"

  "Not for long," Lea answered.

  "Can I ask for a favor?"

  "Of course, Corvus. What is it?" Elsyn said.

  "Actually, it's from Lea. She's better in this field, you said so yourself."

  Slip of tongue or delirium... must be the latter, Elsyn commented mentally.

  "Sis, did? Was it for my naming skills? Or do you wanna buy someone a present? Because let me assure you I absolutely kill there."

  Don't tell me he wants to pursue a career as a clown, Elsyn thought.

  "No, none of those, though if I ever want to I'll be sure to ask you. I'm aware, I'm not great in social settings—"

  "Please, don't; she's a disaster. You both are," Elsyn muttered.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Lea and Corvus went quiet. They silently stared at her.

  "Did I say that out loud?"

  Both nodded.

  She tucked her head under her arms and played ostrich—problems do not exist if you cannot see them.

  Corvus secretly, and Lea openly, relished Elsyn’s embarrassment. The former had a faint smirk, while the latter was grinning stupidly. Seeing Elsyn’s ego take a hit boosted theirs.

  It may herald an inane disaster one day, but for now everyone was safe.

  The moment slowly faded out, when Corvus spoke, "Lea, can you teach me how to be more sociable? I've got into trouble a few times—actually a lot of times—because of my skills, or lack thereof."

  Lea wobbled her head a few times, then pressed her forehead between her fingers before finally saying, "No idea."

  "Do the whole routine again maybe you'll find something; try again."

  "Look, I'm not a gal who tries, I do things because I can. Can you imagine me working hard? No, right."

  Why's she so smug about that? Elsyn wondered.

  "But since it was you asking, I already tried once—don't ask more of me, I'm physically incapable of it. You can try to make me laugh though. I'm an outgoing person and I'm a great joker... Wait, that didn't come out right."

  ! An idea struck Elsyn.

  "So much for being optimistic," Corvus silently added.

  Just as he had lost hope, an ostrich—Elsyn—at last rose, and said, "That's it! Tell one joke per day. If you can make me laugh five times, then you win."

  "Why you, not me?" Lea questioned.

  "Because you are too easy."

  "I am not."

  Elsyn picked a nearby leaf, showed it to Lea, then, with a quick flick, tossed it behind her. Lea’s eyes widened, her jaw dropped. A moment later, her shock turned into a broad, beaming smile.

  "How did you do that, sis? Where’s the leaf?"

  Elsyn removed the leaf from Lea's hair. "Ta-da."

  Lea beamed with energy and wonder. "That's amazing! That leaf must be enchanted—give it to me."

  Elsyn handed her the supposedly magical vanishing leaf, which Lea immediately began practicing with.

  Watching their exchange, Corvus blinked in silence, then asked, "One... per day... but what will I say?"

  "That's kind of the point, so think it up. You have the entire night to prepare," Elsyn said, before falling to rest again.

  Why won't it disappear? Should I move it like this or this? Lea was on the verge of solving the mystery behind the vanishing leaf—she was not—when Elsyn pulled her down and held her to sleep.

  Corvus too drifted to sleep thinking about his task tomorrow.

  Only one of them lay awake, silently listening to everything but never participating.

  Peasants.

  Lior silently sat up, removed a small diary and a pen from his satchel, and began to write:

  Dear Diary,

  Many died today. Two of them were my doing.

  One, a slave boy. The beast inside me killed it to ensure my survival.

  The other, Sir Alistar Blackwell. He died because I asked him to prove his valor against the Kin's forces. He stayed because of me and was butchered for it. I killed him.

  Good night, Diary.

  He packed his diary and pen, and before long, he too fell asleep.

  The sky’s bleak glow gradually gave way to the pallid light of day. The sun, brilliant though it was, carried no warmth—no light in Glaswold’s depths ever did. Yet the melting snow on the trees and the glinting dew on the leaves made Umberfall’s air feel strangely oppressive.

  Marching through the glistening grove, two horses steadily moved forward.

  Lea carefully looked around the forest. She found something strange. "Why haven't we found any animal so far?"

  "So you can kidnap their pup." Elsyn remarked.

  "Sis, don't be mean... I just give neglected ones a new loving home. Lior, what's up with the animals here. Are they super shy?"

  "... Umberfall is the prime hunting ground for everyone including your precious, Covenant. So it's natural for them to be wary of humans. Though that only applies to weaker creatures. The stronger ones are openly hostile toward humans, especially on the Zimorath side of the forest."

  "Do they enslave animals as well?" Lea asked.

  "No. That term is reserved for humans. For animals, we call it domestication and training. So yes, they domesticate and train wild animals."

  "Why do you support those monsters? You must've suffered at their hands as well," Lea asked.

  "I told you not to speak with me, but if it will shut you up, then fine—I'll engage you this once. For most slaves, it's simply their obligation to serve their masters. They are in that position because their ancestors lost. From the viewpoint of the victor, all threats should be justly eliminated, yet they allowed for so many to live. They fed them, kept them, gave them a purpose, and even a price. What else can they ask for?"

  "But not everyone could've fought. There are bakers, farmers, artists, and so many more," Lea countered.

  "Who did they bake, farm, or create art for? Everyone is involved in a conflict—even an unborn child, whose existence morally supports his soldier father. Those who say otherwise are either ignorant or hypocrites... Judging from your reaction you must be the first one."

  That... th..." Lea did not know how to respond. It was as if Lior had been tutored from birth to cherish and defend the prevailing order.

  Against Lea's fledgling reasoning stood a cold logic sharpened through ages.

  "Do you understand, now. Slaves owe a debt of life. And by rebelling or running away they are not being fair. Their only hope lies in getting freedom from masters through servility."

  "How do you measure that debt?" Corvus cut in. "How many generations must come and go before your so-called masters start to feel generous? Humans are not benign creatures, period. Betting on their kindness is a pitfall that swallows almost everyone."

  "Debt? Obligation? They have nothing to do with it. Slavery is a perverted, greedy business driven by strength and sustained by institutions that normalize it," Elsyn added.

  "It's easy to point fingers, and hard to see answers, especially when your minds are already made up," Lior said.

  "Like yours is," Corvus scoffed.

  "I don't care what you say, Lior. It's bad because Maa can't be with me; she looks weak, exhausted, and always stays away from home. People feel bad because of it—you can't convince me otherwise," Lea snapped.

  No one spoke further. Everyone's mood turned sour as had the start of their day. The already oppressive ambience of Umberfall suddenly seemed more trying and embittering.