The badger that burst through the gambel oak was larger than the one that they had fought at the house. It also had what looked like a saddle on its back and a humanura that had, what looked like, armor on. In front of the humanura was a human body of what looked like a girl. The limb body of the girl swung back and forth as the badger sniffed the air. It started growling in their direction.

  Callie heard the gasp of Eliza behind her and she could feel the fear radiating off of Josie beside her. Zeus moved in front of Callie and started growling at the creature. Thankfully, they were still hidden a bit by the underbrush having not fully left the deer trail. When Callie looked over at Kane, his rifle was trained at the badger. Well, actually it looked a little high, so maybe he was aiming at the humanura.

  “Friendly?” Kane whispered the question to Callie.

  ”No,” Callie whispered back.

  To their right they heard a growl come from Jonah that rivaled Zeus’. The badger had moved fully into the clearing now and was emanating a low snarl in their direction. The humanura dismounted the badger and a glow came over the badger and it froze in its position. The humanura walked in front of the frozen badger and they could see it was carrying a staff with a small blade on the end. It wasn’t a spear, the blade almost looked like an ax but much smaller and it had a glow to it. There were feathers and beads hanging on strings on the opposite side of the blade making gangling noises as the creature walked.

  Kane picked up almost instantly that the humanura was using the stick like a walking stick for balance. It had a limb on its left side. Kane couldn’t see what was wrong with the leg as the humanura wore flowing wide pant-like trousers. What Kane had thought was armor was actually paintings on the creature's torso and arm. Its left arm that was holding onto the staff had an oversized sleeve that was attached to a band tied around its upper arm hiding most of that arm and the hand that held the staff. Kane could see the arm above the sleeve was smaller than the exposed right arm. The humanura also had a scar on the left-side of its face, but it wore what mimicked a medieval leather helmet from some of the video games Kane used to play.

  “I know where you are, it is by grace you are still alive. Drop your weapon and come out. I sense you, Humanura. You are no mage, you have little protection. Your ward can not defend you,” the humanura said but there was a hint of pain in its voice. Kane could see that the left side of its mouth didn’t work like the right side.

  Kane looked to his right at Jonah, not lowering his rifle. Jonah had somehow moved silently further away. He didn’t look at Kane before he stood up and walked towards the center of the clearing to meet the other humanura.

  ”Your name iuvenis?” The other humanura asked as Jonah stopped just out of reach of the staff.

  ”Jonah of Icarus,” Jonah said, “Tuum?”

  The other humanura laughed, “Icarus! Debilitas! You are the last!”

  “Yes.”

  ”I am Jacabus of Athos, secundus of Athos.”

  ”Cursed,” Jonah spat just loud enough to be heard. This made Jacabus visibly angry.

  ”Yes, cursed! We are all! Hunters curse us to war, Frowlers raised to defend and protect!”

  ”No, Frowlers praelia, fight not to protect. Frowlers no better than Hunters.”

  Jacabus swung his staff up over his head and took a step towards Jonah, “Fatuss! Fool! Hunters will not stop!”

  Callie reached out her hand and silently cast RESISTANCE on Jonah. Jonah took a step backwards away from the swing of the blade and looked in Callie’s direction. A small smile came across his face.

  ”Integrum fieri will never be for Frowlers. For you,” Jonah said his smile still on his face but anger in his tone.

  Jacabus stopped his second attack mid-swing and started laughing at Jonah, “Fool! Illustratus was never meant for us! You show your juvenis! Your seniores fill you with illusions! Icarus fatum, fate was sealed if integrum fieri all you seek!”

  The smile on Jonah’s face just widened, “Then forever cursed you are.”

  Jonah looked back in Callie and Kane’s direction and slightly nodded. Kane didn’t hesitate, he squeezed the trigger on his rifle. His sights lined up on the exposed chest of the humanura. Kane kept his sight on the chest of the creature, but with the noise of the rifle going off Zeus leaped out of their hiding spot and ran at Jacabus.

  As the bullet ripped into the humanura’s chest, Kane saw out of the corner of his eye a beam of light head straight at the creature. The beam hit the humanura in the right shoulder. Eliza let out a soft cheer. As Jacabus planted his staff trying to catch his balance Zeus launched himself at him. Zeus clamped onto the Jacabus’ right arm and in malinois fashion, the momentum took them both swinging backwards. Zeus, let go and chopped down on Jacabus’ shoulder right where the spell from Eliza had hit.

  Jacabus screamed in pain trying to loosen his staff from the ground he had planted it in. He lost his grip on the staff once Zeus started shaking his shoulder and Jacabus screams became louder and more desperate. The sleeve on his left arm swung up revealing a shriveled, damaged arm. Jacabus started trying to swing his damaged arm up to hit Zeus.

  In all the movement Kane was trying to line up his second shot. Not seeing a good angle that wouldn’t hit Zeus, Kane took a look at Callie and then stood up. Kane cast HUNTERS MARK on Jacabus and then cast TITAN’S STRIKE. He raced forward and slammed into a slowly sitting up Jacabus as he was released by panting Zeus.

  Jacabus slumped back down to the ground as Kane finally brought his momentum to a stop. When Kane looked behind him Jonah was walking over to the laying Jacabus.

  ”Without propositum we have nothing. Integrum fieri brought humanura, illustratus is what we all need,” as Jonah finished his statement he looked up at Kane and then back at Josie, “Little Druid, hide face, Little Wizard, hide face.”

  Jonah waited until Eliza and Josie had their stuffed animals over their faces and then said, lifting his hands above Jacabus, “Maledictus es, maledictus eris. The cursed can not be where life will continue.”

  A strong beam of light came out of Jonah’s hands and hit Jacabus’ chest just to the left of where Kane’s bullet had hit. Jacabus’ face distorted into a silent scream and anger. As the beam stopped, Jonah looked up at Kane. Kane could see the pain on his face. Kane had killed men while serving in the military, he could see by the look on Jonah’s face that he was hesitating killing one of his own kind. Kane had seen the look on young soldiers' faces before, those men weren’t cut out for war. Maybe Jonah was truly pullus, which Kane couldn’t tell if that meant inexperienced, young, or child, but the word fit Jonah in that moment. And either way, Kane took pity on Jonah and walked over to the humanura lying on the ground.

  “Zeus, go to Callie,” Kane said as he pulled out his pistol. As soon as Zeus was far enough away to not get hit, Kane put two bullets into Jacabus’ head. Seeing the lack of movement from Jacabus’ chest, Jonah collapsed onto the ground next to the humanura.

  Unfortunately at the death of Jacabus, it triggered the ending of whatever spell had put on the badger to keep it frozen. Suddenly the badger reared up and roared into the air. The girl on its back fell limp to the ground having nothing to hold her on the creature's back. Kane heard the soft grunt from the young girl but quickly holstered his pistol and brought up his rifle.

  “Shit!” Kane yelled trying to back up away from the badger.

  Jonah was still on the ground next to the lifeless body of Jacabus.

  “Jonah!” Kane yelled as he continued to back up. The badger's attention was now fully on Kane.

  As Kane debated turning and running, what seemed like a smoke bomb suddenly sprung up just to the side of Jonah. The cloud of smoke quickly encased Jonah and Kane. Kane took advantage of the cover and turned to run to the treeline. As he ran, he looked over his shoulder to see a large tree trunk go flying through the air hitting the badger in the head. The creature screamed but didn’t go into the smoke.

  Making the treeline, Kane turned around and cast ENSNARING STRIKE trying to hold the creature where it was. Unlike before, this time vine-like arms reached around the badger and thrust it to the ground. The badger screamed again. Then Kane saw what looked like a glowing spear appear above the creature and slammed down on its back just missing the saddle. At the same time balls of fire were hitting the badger's face. A health bar appeared above the creature. The bar was in the red.

  “Keep hitting its face! Don’t let it scream!” Kane yelled, aiming his rifle at the creature's neck activating EXTRA ATTACK at the same time. The health bar was dropping at a steady pace but not very fast. Kane’s magazine was empty and as he was reloading he saw Josie sprinting faster than he thought she possibly could through the smoke and slammed into the badger. Both of her hands were up and a fire burst from her into its chest as she touched the creature.

  The badger let out a small scream and then collapsed, almost on top of Josie as the health bar became completely depleted. The fire was now spreading across the fur of the creature and caught whatever wrappings had been used for the saddle the humanura had used. Kane started running towards Josie who had fallen to her knees next to the badger. Thankfully, Jonah grabbed Josie first and ran her away from the badger back towards where Callie and Eliza and Zeus were.

  Kane walked over to where he had dropped his empty magazine, retrieving it then walked over to his family. Josie was silently crying into Jonah’s shoulder as he held her in his arms. Callie was cooing at her trying to soothe her.

  “Eliza,” Kane said as he arrived next to her, as Eliza looked up Kane said, “Good job my girl. Good job.”

  He reached down and gave her a half hug and gave her a kiss on her forehead. Eliza nearly collapsed into her dad. Kane held onto his daughter until she was ready to let go. Then he walked over to Jonah and Josie. Josie had finally looked away from Jonah’s shoulder, but had a completely zoned out look on her face.

  “Let me have her,” Kane said gently to Jonah. Jonah hesitantly handed Josie over to Kane. Josie’s eyes stayed glazed over, but she leaned into her dad.

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  “Josie, honey, look at me, please,” Kane said as he gently rocked his daughter. Josie looked up at her dad, her eyes still not focusing.

  ”It’s okay, Josie,” Kane said gently to his daughter, “It will be okay.”

  Josie broke out into full sobs before Kane finished his sentence. She reached out and death gripped around his neck. Kane just held his daughter and held back the tears he felt in his chest as his shirt became wet with Josie’s tears. He had saved Jonah from killing someone from his own species, but he hadn’t saved his daughter from killing. War had real consequences and his 10 year old shouldn’t have had to learn that lesson. Kane rotated between great sadness and an unrelenting anger at the Hunters and Frowlers who had brought this war into their world.

  After what felt like eternity of the rotating emotions Kane was experiencing, Josie finally stopped crying and loosened her grip on Kane’s neck. Kane finally looked over at Callie who was gently holding Eliza by her side. Callie looked like she had been crying but there were no tears currently falling. Eliza looked sad but was hugging her mom and her stuffed animal.

  “Um, has anyone checked on the other girl?” Kane asked, not knowing what more he could say to his family.

  ”She has not moved,” Jonah said as he pet Zeus’s back.

  ”Josie, I need to go check on the other little girl,” Kane said, looking down at his daughter. Josie just nodded and moved her legs to stand up out of Kane’s arms.

  Kane put Josie down. Josie grabbed her dad’s hand as he started to walk away.

  “You want to come?” Kane asked with a half smile.

  Josie nodded and the two of them walked over to the girl that was still laying motionless on the ground on the opposite side of the clearing. The girl wasn’t as young as Kane had initially thought. She was probably in her young teen years, but she didn’t seem like she would be much taller than Josie. Kane gently squeezed Josie’s hand before letting go and taking a knee next to the girl. He picked up her hand and felt her wrist for a pulse. It was faint but it was there. Kane, without touching the girl anymore, looked over her to see if there were any signs of injury.

  Not seeing any he looked behind him to where Callie and the rest of the group were slowly making their way towards him. Callie had picked up the backpack and had given Jonah the smaller bag she had been carrying. Callie had a very skeptical look on her face as she approached. Kane gave her a small smile, hoping she got the hint that things were okay.

  ”Is she . . . Is she okay?” Callie asked.

  ”I don’t see any injuries and she is alive,” Kane said, standing up, “Maybe you can take a closer look?”

  Callie gently nodded and put the backpack on the ground before going over to the girl and starting at her head, she looked and felt for injuries. She didn’t see or feel any until she got to the girl's lower back. When she touched the girl's hip, the girl let out a small grunt but didn’t wake.

  “I don’t see or feel anything alarming, but Kane, we can’t stay here. Our fight had to have drawn attention,” Callie said, standing up.

  ”I know,” Kane said, trying to think. He didn’t know this girl, although he could carry her and take her with them. It would slow them down and he didn’t want to risk his family any further than they already were.

  “Jonah, can you tell, is she a Druid?” Kane asked, looking at Jonah.

  ”Yes,” Jonah said then added after a pause, “She is.”

  Kane nodded and then went back into his thoughts. He was slowly formulating a plan, but someone wasn’t going to like it. He looked around at the thick underbrush of the gambel oaks around him. He gently picked up the girl and started walking towards a thinner patch.

  ”Jonah, could you grab the backpack, please,” Kane said as he walked.

  When he got to the spot he was aiming for he gently laid the girl down. She grunted again but still didn’t wake up. Kane was starting to wonder if Jacabus had cast a sleeping spell on her, if that was a thing.

  As Jonah approached with the backpack, Kane said, “Open it up please. Alex, I have a mission for you.”

  Alex peeked his head out of the open backpack, “Oh?”

  ”We can’t take this girl with us, but I can’t in good conscience leave her alone. Alex, can you stay with her until she wakes up?” Kane asked, looking at the porcupus.

  ”And leave My Lady?” Alex sounded offended as he put two of his hands on his chest like he was clutching his heart.

  ”I know it is asking a lot, Alex, but she is going to wake up scared and I don’t want her to wake up alone. We are going to go up the mountain and look at the Rift.”

  Alex looked like he was deep in thought. While he was thinking Callie walked over with the girls and Zeus. Alex looked up at her.

  ”I don’t want to leave My Lady, but you are right. She can’t be left alone,” Alex finally conceded.

  “We will come back for you if we can,” Kane said standing up as Alex jumped out of the backpack and sat down in a ball next to the mystery girl, “If we don’t make it back here, head for the homestead. We will meet you there.”

  Alex looked from the girl to Callie, “My Lady, may protections stay over you," And he stood up to his full height and bowed.

  Callie walked over and gave him a gentle pat, “Thank you, Alex.”

  ”Time to go,” Jonah said as he looked at the deer trail they had come up.

  Kane looked towards the opening and he could just faintly hear voices. The voices were still a ways away but they were getting louder meaning they were moving closer. Kane looked down at the sleeping girl and at Alex who had curled himself up next to the girl's hip. Kane nodded to the creature and then looked at his daughters. Josie was looking in the direction of the voices with almost anger in her eyes. Eliza was looking up at her mom.

  “Time to go,” Kane repeated and looked to the area the badger and rider had come from. It wasn’t as defined of a path as the deer trail but there was a thin spot in the gambel oak and Kane saw evergreens just past the opening. He took one more look at the deer trail then grabbed the camping backpack. He flung it onto his back and tapped Josie on the shoulder. She looked up at him and he pointed to the opening. Josie looked at the opening and then without a word took off running at a full sprint to the area.

  Callie gave Kane a surprised expression and then resettled her pack that she had taken back from Jonah on her back and took off running with Eliza following after Josie. Josie didn’t stop when she hit the opening of the trail. Callie and Eliza followed her without stopping. Kane had paused to let them pass, keeping watch on the deer trail. He looked at Jonah who nodded and then they too took off running after the girls.

  Kane wasn’t sure how far ahead of the group following them they were as he took off following Zeus into gambel oaks. They were a couple paces into the evergreens just past the gambel oaks when the shouts started in the clearing. Kane could barely see Josie ahead of him. Normally Josie hated to run, Eliza was his runner and more athletic child. But whatever Josie was running from, or running to, she was doing it very quickly. Josie took a turn in the trail and Kane lost sight of her. Callie and Eliza followed her and Kane heard a soft scream. His jog turned into a full sprint as he rounded the corner and almost ran into the back of Callie.

  In front of them Josie was slowly walking up to bur. Her hand was up as she walked towards the creature who wasn’t moving. Kane started to push past Callie, who was holding Zeus, but Jonah grabbed his arm before he could fully get past her.

  “Wait,” Jonah said, his eyes fully fixed on the scene in front of them.

  The bur was in a clearing maybe half the size of the previous one and it took up at least two-thirds of the space. As Kane watched, debating if he should rip his arm from the strong grip of the humanura, Josie had reached the bur that he could now see was laying half on its side.

  Josie gently spoke to the creature, but Kane couldn’t make out what she said. The creature let out a small whimper and then Josie dropped her hand and walked towards the face of the creature. The bur was laying in such a way that Josie had to turn to face Kane in order to touch the creature's face. Kane watched as his daughter quickly glanced at him, then with both hands grabbed the muzzle of the bur and put her forehead on the bur’s face between the area of its eye and ear. Josie looked so small next to the mass of this creature.

  A gentle glow came over the bur and a breath later the creature was jerking itself up and roaring. Kane jerked his arm away from Jonah and sprinted to his daughter. Josie didn’t take a step back when the bur reared up. Kane grabbed her and threw them both away from the upright creature. The bur was looking around the clearing, but Kane wasn’t sure if it was looking for something to attack or what it was doing.

  Josie was wiggling her way out of his arms and was nearly on her feet again when the bur came back down onto its four legs. The bur looked at her. Josie walked back over to the creature with her hand extended again. Kane was in the middle of screaming when the bur bowed its head and Josie touched its forehead.

  “Peace,” Josie said. The bur lifted its head and looked at Kane. Kane had expected to see bear eyes or buffalos but what he saw instead were eyes with almost a human quality. And the eyes were blue! Kane had never seen a bear or buffalo with anything but brown eyes. Kane couldn’t help but have his breath catch in his chest.

  “Josie! Get away from that!” Callie yelled as she came running up to her daughter. Eliza following right behind with Zeus following her a little skiddish. Jonah for his part was slowly walking into the small clearing towards them.

  “Mom, she is okay. She was hurt and looking for her baby,” Josie said.

  “How do you know that?” Callie asked, reaching her daughter and pulling her back a little from the bur.

  “She told me,” Josie said with certainty. Kane almost forgot the pain his daughter was showing not ten minutes before.

  Callie’s jaw moved as though she were trying to say something but no words came out.

  “Where is her baby?” Eliza asked, walking up to her sister.

  Josie looked at the bur and then started looking around, “Maybe that way?” Josie pointed not up the mountain, but across.

  “Can we go find it?” Eliza asked, looking in the direction Josie pointed. They heard the shouts getting closer. Zeus started to growl. The commotion they had made had alerted whoever was following them.

  “Yes, let’s go find the baby!” Callie nearly shouted, looking where the shouts had come from and then in the direction Josie was pointing.

  Josie for her part nodded, touched the mom bur and then took off running. Eliza followed close behind, ZeusSt her heels. The bur took a look at Kane, who was still on the ground, and Callie and then turned to follow the girls. Callie looked down at Kane and offered her hand to help him up. Jonah had changed his direction when the girls took off running and was now jogging behind the bur disappearing into the trees.

  It was all Callie and Kane could do to keep up with the group through the dense evergreens. Kane didn’t like the amount of noise they were making going through all of the trees. Kane could hear the shouts from behind him. They were definitely being followed.

  The sky was getting darker as they turned up the mountain. Kane couldn’t tell if it was really getting that late in the day or if something else was causing the darkening. Somehow the air felt charged too, like an electrical storm was coming. Kane looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was following them. The voices were sounding closer but he couldn’t tell if that was his paranoia or not.

  He turned around in time to see Callie had stopped and was kneeling next to Eliza who was on the ground lightly sobbing.

  “What happened?” Kane asked just over a whisper as he stopped next to the two. He could just make out the movement ahead of them of the bur and Jonah.

  “I fell! Josie and Jonah didn’t stop!” Eliza cried.

  Callie put her hands on Eliza’s knee and ankle, a light glow showed around her knee, her ankle and her wrist on the same side. As the glowing stopped Kane heard the shouting voices that had been following them really close.

  “Callie, catch up to Josie! I’ll stay with Eliza,” Kane said gently, pushing on Callie.

  Callie looked down at her daughter and then back up at Kane, “But . . . “

  “Go, Josie needs one of us. We will follow,” Kane said, pushing her again then turning around to face the shouts that sounded just a few paces behind them but Kane couldn’t see them yet. He heard Callie take off running behind him after she touched him and he felt the familiar energy surge.

  “Eliza, tell me when you are on your feet,” Kane whispered as he looked through his sights slowly scanning the area they had come from.

  A few breaths later Kane heard gently behind him, “I’m up dad.”

  “Okay, run, follow your mom,” Kane said, not moving.

  “Dad, please don’t make me go by myself,” She quietly sobbed, “I’m scared.”

  Kane took a breath listening for the voices. Then lightly shook his head and stood up and turned to his daughter whispering, “Run.”

  Eliza took off running, Kane hadn’t seen which direction Callie had disappeared in so he was relying on Eliza to lead the way.