cross ❌ stitch pattern

cross ❌ stitch pattern

cross ❌ stitch pattern

2

ACT VI:

An Underwater Adventure

The next day, we needed some time to dig ourselves out from under our sleeping bags. The fire was burning peacefully in the campfire, so I got up and threw more rations into the water, which was left over from yesterday's soups. The buffalo herd was gone. They've probably moved on...

"Soon we won't have anything to eat."

"If we meet humans or other races, we'll ask what's edible here," Owen said, getting dressed.

"Maybe this grass is edible too?

" "It? Well, it's quite possible, if the buffalo eat it...

" Yesterday's race had exhausted the unicorns a bit.

"No wonder we galloped so long..." he sighed, patting the animal's snout. "Today we'll go slowly.

" We packed up the tent and set off. Still following the same road, which had no branches, leading eastward. The day passed very slowly, nothing, absolutely nothing happened. Moreover, we were surrounded by the same landscape, the same grass, the same sky. The utter silence seemed unbearable.

And suddenly... Suddenly, a huge lake stretched out before us. So vast that at first I thought it was a sea. But in reality, it wasn't. We quickly drove to its sandy shore, overgrown with grassy reeds. We ran to the water and greedily began drinking; I had no strength left for anything else. The unicorns drank too, wading into the water up to their knees. Once we had finished, we stretched out on the grassy shore, gazing at the incredible sky above us. I never imagined that if you didn't drink all day, you could drink up an entire pond like that at once... Our unicorns were still standing in the water, drinking greedily. We didn't want to disturb them yet, so we sat down on the ground and began to think. What were we supposed to do now?

"If we circle this entire pond, it will take us several days. I'm sure of that...

" "Have you noticed that the road leads all the way to the water? As if you could travel normally underwater..." I thought aloud.

"That's impossible. Not with our... We have Pegasi!" Owen exclaimed happily.

"Exactly," I rejoiced. "Only very tired Pegasi..." I added sadly.

Suddenly, we were terrified by our unicorns' reaction. They reared up in the water, neighing fiercely, trying to take off, but they couldn't because the water was holding their necks. Without thinking, we both rushed to help them. We had to be faster. I tried with all my might to pull the unicorn out of the water, but it was impossible...

Unfortunately, I, too, got caught in the whirlpool and plunged underwater. Owen dove after me, and then we saw the smiling, friendly faces of... Oceans. I took a shaky breath, and then water gushed into my mouth. However, I didn't suffocate because we were under their protection.

"Nothing will happen to you," we heard. "You're safe." Take the unicorns, let them come with us...

We had some trouble with the mounts; they refused to go underwater quite willingly, but then they glided quite calmly underwater on their enormous wings...

We gazed with great interest at the beautiful plants and corals growing on the bottom of the lake. There were also numerous flat rocks arranged in layers, somewhat reminiscent of cones and pyramids. Far ahead, we saw a castle. It reminded me of a large glass dome, adorned with large corals, and it looked as if the great roots of a tree encompassed the entire hemisphere. We swam in and stood on the dry, marble floor. We were wet, but happy.

"Welcome to the underwater castle of Polguz. We are delighted with your arrival."

A typical girl of this race smiled at us. And a tall young man. As she spoke, an elderly couple joined us. Apparently, they were the rulers here. We bowed to them in the typical Avin-Lion manner, and they nodded graciously.

"We welcome you!

" "We are very pleased to be with you," I said.

"Leave the unicorns here; they will be properly provided for. Our kinsmen will take care of them, and you come with us."

We strolled leisurely through the impressive halls, from whose windows we could see fish swimming by, and it was a very strange feeling. I thought that once I left this palace, I wouldn't have trouble breathing, but I wasn't very accustomed to such feats and preferred to give up. All the amazing walls were painted this beautiful blue, mostly with beautiful dolphins and underwater creatures that I'd never seen before, but were very pretty. Here and there were very soft sofas and cozy armchairs. Flowers with red and pink blooms bloomed here, and large white garlands covered the windows. Huge chandeliers with candles, adorned with seashells, hung from the ceilings. All this made a profound impression on us.

When we sat down in a small room at a round glass table supported by a blue marble dolphin, we were strangely already dry.

"How was your trip?" asked the older man.

"Okay," Owen nodded. "So far, everything's going according to plan."

"We're very happy about that," the young man said, smiling.

"Forgive us for scaring you so much," the girl said. "But we had to put you to the test. Another one, I think, this time you'll get our tattoo, which will help you sense water and also see it...

" "Great!" I exclaimed spontaneously. "And we were already so worried about the animals drinking!"

Everyone smiled solemnly.

"So we'll teach you what it means to be Oceans. We have our history too.

" "Let's go then," the older man rose, and we all went to the room, which had only one large, round pond in the center.

I wondered why they needed a pond here, but I would soon find out. We all sat on the edge and gazed into its blue surface. The water, stirred by the hands of the elderly couple, swayed and then we heard a repeated voice coming to us from what seemed to be the depths of the water.

"In ancient traditions, it is said that all races arose from aquatic beings, because during their long underwater evolution, they came to land to test their mettle. It was we who, with our power, created the races of Avinlion, aided by the magic of water, which is the magic of life. For there are no beings who do not need water; we are all united by the need for water. Water is the element of life, and we have learned to control it... Thanks to this, we have the right to decide the lives of almost all the races of the Land of the Sunsword. Our race has always lived in underwater palaces; as you traverse this lake, you will find even more palaces like these, for among us there are no higher beings; we are all equal... As the first race, we have never demanded any special rights from the rulers of this land, as we need them. Peace is enough for us; we do not want war or bloodshed. We expect you to protect our waters. We want to live in safety, so do not drag us to your cities and villages." We are a powerful race, but we do not wish to live among you... Our Magic is the magic of life, and every Magic has its place in the great Mandala of the Cosmos. All is one; no effect exists without a cause. We, too, have our place in the great history of Avinlion, the only Land still so pure and untainted that the magics of the world can meet here... This is an extraordinary place in every way, and you must respect it, for if you do not, the energies of the Universe will turn against you. This is what you should know about the Oceans, the race of watery high elves...

We exchanged glances. The image disappeared, as it had previously in the sacred Indian grove.

"Now you still need tattoos," the older woman said. "Step into the pool.

" "But..." I looked at her uncertainly, but Owen was already standing inside.

The water wasn't deep, barely reaching my ankles, but I wasn't thrilled. When I stood next to Owen, the Oceanians stood on all four corners of the world, surrounding us in this way. Then they stretched their open hands toward us, and the water enveloped us in a huge column. Stunned by the roar, I fell to my knees as Owen gazed upward, captivated by the incredible spectacle...

And suddenly everything disappeared. There was no more roar of water, no more pool. We were sitting again at that beautiful table with the marble dolphin. From the Beginning, we sat for a moment in comfortable chairs whose backs resembled seashells, and then we lifted our right sleeves to look at another tattoo. This one depicted a seashell and was slightly lower than the Native American tattoo. It was completely black, with many fine details.

"Thank you!" my brother said.

"The suns are up. Time to go.

" "We've been here all night?"

"Yes. Your Pegasi are ready to go. You can use them to cross the lake. Their feathers are wet, so you won't be able to fly.

" "Thank you again." We both rose from the table and said goodbye to the Oceans.

Our Unicorns were waiting for us in that huge cougar, which had walls of water resembling roaring waterfalls. When we mounted them, they were no longer afraid to enter the water; the Oceans must have taught them that.

We glided through the water, almost as if we were in the air. Just beneath the surface. As we looked down, passing over one of the beautiful castles, we saw the Oceans waving in friendship. We waved back. It took us a long time to reach the other side. Our journey must have taken half a day, watching the suns move across the sky...

When the Unicorns felt the sandy ground beneath their hooves, they quickened their pace, and soon we were standing completely soaked on the other side of the large lake. We quickly lit a fire and sent the unicorns out to pasture to dry off. We changed into our spare clothes, drying our wet ones by the fire.

"Show me the map," I said to Owen.

"Exactly, I wonder if we're on the right track." My brother pulled out a map and spread it out on his knee. He stared at it silently for a moment. "We left the Water Gate, crossed the Mogot Plains, were in the city of Clonasia, were in the Corpse Tree Forest among the Indians, rode the Totem Road, and now we've crossed Sea Lake, and when we follow that road, we'll cross the river and reach... the pyramids!

" "WOW!!! I never would have guessed there were pyramids here!

" "Nothing should surprise us here anymore. Don't you think?

" "Hmmm." Sure, but it still seems like such a wonderful dream...

- Oh yes, a dream that never ends...ACT VII

The Conflict of Past and Present

The next, bright day, we set off on our journey, but unfortunately, after a two-hour drive, we came across a mighty river spilling right across the road. Unfortunately, whether we wanted to or not, we had to cross it, but we had no idea how best to do it, because the Unicorns were tired, and we didn't want to tire them out even more. So we rode along the riverbank for a long time, looking for a shallower spot through which we could guide the Unicorns. But we couldn't find anything.

"Owen, that's pointless..." I sighed in resignation. We'd been searching for so long! I no longer felt like such a pointless search.

"Do you have a better idea?" He looked at me reproachfully and turned his Pegasus towards me. "I don't know what else we could come up with!

" "Maybe we should try this flight thing?"

"It's a huge river. There's no point! Sooner or later, they'll fail. I'd rather not risk it.

" "So how are we going to do it?"

Owen shrugged helplessly and looked into the dark depths of the water. We both didn't want to get between them, which is why we couldn't muster the courage to try flying.

"Marron! Remember what they told us, Ocean?" my brother suddenly yelled, so loudly that our mounts threw back their heads in alarm. "Our Magic is the magic of life, and every Magic has its place in the great Mandala of the Cosmos."!!!

"But what does that have to do with anything?" I asked, surprised.

"The magic of life. So if, if..." Owen pondered frantically. "We have these tattoos that give us power over this magic. Do you understand me, Marron?! We can control water!

" "You don't mean we're going to go into the water now!?" I gasped breathlessly.

"I don't think we'll even have to. We'll just ride across it.

" "But Owen! That's stupid.

" "Marron, you have to believe." Owen turned his horse toward the water and closed his eyes.

After a moment, a bluish aura began to envelop his body. Seeing this, I couldn't believe it was happening. My brother a magician?! Is that even possible?! The aura intensified moment by moment, until it enveloped his entire form in glowing blue rays. When Owen opened his eyes, they were blue and glowed with an incredible brilliance, and worst of all, he had no pupils at all! I watched, petrified with fear, and in that same moment, he urged his unicorn on, which ran into the water without protest, but then began to walk across it as if it were a hard road. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, but I hadn't dreamed it! My little brother was actually riding a horse through the water!!! Then I lost sight of him, as a milky fog suddenly spread across the river, making it difficult to see anything. I knew I had to follow him, so I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself. Slowly, I let myself be guided by the sound of the water, which surrounded me.

"Magic of life, you are the magic of water!" I thought. "Do what you want, do what you want!"

And then I felt warmth. My heart felt so serene, as if I'd felt the warmth of a stream within. The water and its roar began to fill me, until I felt as if I could be part of that terrifying river. I slowly opened my eyes, and if I'd seen myself at that same moment, I'm sure I would have been as terrified to see my own eyes as I had been to see Owen's. Without a second thought, I spurred my horse straight toward the river and soon began trotting across the churning waves of the immense water. Suddenly, I noticed my brother standing on the other bank; his eyes were closed, and he was no longer enveloped in that beautiful blue glow. I breathed slowly and deeply. It was enough for my Unicorn to step onto dry ground, and I suddenly felt strangely weak. I wanted to sleep, just sleep, but I had to pull myself together, so I followed my brother's example and closed my eyes, concentrating on my feelings. At that moment, I felt my bond with the river fading, that we were no longer one as before, but two different Magics. I thanked the river for a safe journey and straightened in the saddle.

"And how?" my brother asked. "Amazing, isn't it?"

I only nodded, unable to utter a word. Only after a moment did I whisper: "It's so foggy here, I can't see my hand in front of my eyes! How are we going to go any further?

" "I think we'll wait until it clears up a bit," I heard my brother's voice, but I couldn't see him anymore.

"Terrifying how quickly it appeared..." I didn't finish, interrupted by the roar of a cannon and the shouts of hundreds of people. I could distinguish the shouts of soldiers and the distinct, battle cry of Indians! In that same instant, the fog dispersed, and we were standing in the middle of a field where Indians and soldiers, living in those days in the Wild West, were fighting. Our unicorns, frightened by the roar of cannons and gunfire, carried us towards the forest, where we only managed to stop them from galloping any further. Miraculously, no one was hurt.

"What...?!" I whispered. "What the hell?"

"Oh my god, where are we!? I feel like I'm in some American western." Owen looked in the direction of the battle. "What are we going to do now?"

"We can't leave this like this, Owen! They're our countrymen, we have to help them."

"But how!? Damn, I think it's pointless to even attempt something like this!"

"But remember what the Indians told us!? We have to help them so they can regain their peace! We can't leave it like this!

" "I know..." he scratched his head, jumping off the unicorn, and at that moment we heard a child's scream. It was a terrifying, fearful scream, a little boy who jumped out of the bushes and started running into the forest.

"I'll catch up with him!" I shouted to Owen, galloping after the little Indian.

I chased him for quite a while, until at one point I leaned forward in the saddle and grabbed him around the hips, quickly lifting him into the saddle. The boy screamed and struggled wildly, even biting me, which wasn't pleasant at all, but I held him tight and turned the horse around, still galloping, and returned to Owen. The little one hadn't stopped screaming and struggling for a moment the entire ride back, but when I lowered him to the ground right next to Owen, he was speechless with fear. Yes, Owen had always possessed unparalleled authority, but to this extent?! I never expected this! I jumped down beside the crying child nestled among the rocks and bushes, crouched down beside him, and began to observe him closely. Then I looked at Owen.

"We have to help him.

" "But he probably doesn't understand us..." my brother sighed.

"Perhaps our tattoo will help us this time too?" I asked uncertainly.

I closed my eyes, just as I had before, and my brother and I began to concentrate on Native American Magic. I felt power within me, but it was different. Completely different from water Magic. I felt a healing power within me, concentrated primarily in my hands. Trees with skeletons hanging from their branches rustled in my ears. An orange aura slowly enveloped our bodies, growing with each passing moment, until finally, we both opened our eyes simultaneously. They were the color of earth, and as before, there were no pupils in them. The little boy took a deep breath and pressed himself even tighter between the stones.

"Don't be afraid," I smiled at him reassuringly. "We won't hurt you."

Owen realized we could now speak the Native American language, and this surprised him greatly.

"Don't be afraid of us, we've come to help you. For the Queen of Avinlion, Mitra, has sent us. Tell us, what's your name?

" "White..." the boy whispered. "White Buffalo."

"How beautiful!" I smiled. "So tell us now what's going on there! What kind of war is this? "

The boy grew sad, looking uncertainly toward the battlefield.

"They're our enemies. Our enemies, they want to kill us. They've always wanted it! We don't stand a chance, but we must defend our sacred groves, for we have nothing but them, and it's our sacred duty, entrusted to us by the gods! Our spirits would be angry if we allowed these soldiers to desecrate them. We won't let that happen, we don't want that..."

I looked at the eleven-year-old boy and couldn't believe I was hearing those words coming from his mouth! I closed my eyes for a moment, as immense anger at all of them welled up inside me. So many victims, so many innocent victims! For what did they all die!? For whom?!..." I jumped to my feet and looked down at the boy.

"Stay here! We'll be back soon!"

My brother must have been thinking the same thing, because he followed me straight onto the battlefield, and we entered it almost as soon as both sides began to rush towards each other, ready to clash in deadly combat. We stopped in the middle of a vast clearing, feeling the earth tremble beneath us and the terrible roar of war cries shaking the air. I took a deep breath and screamed as loudly as I could.

"Stop, in the name of Mithra and Henry, I command you to stop!"

Suddenly, my voice was amplified and reverberated with a powerful echo that startled both sides. The Indians and soldiers stopped, looking at us in surprise. But soon they were attacking again. My brother frowned ominously, and in that same moment, I realized he was about to use Water Magic, for a blue glow of power enveloped him. Owen quickly knelt on the ground and touched the grass with his open hand.

"...Owen...?!" I whispered softly.

But he wasn't looking at me. He was concentrating entirely on what he wanted to do, and suddenly I felt the ground beneath me crack, water gushing out, and suddenly that same water rising in mighty walls toward the sky. It was such a stunning sight that I stepped back, staring in amazement at the incredible spectacle! And suddenly everything stopped... the silence was broken only by the mournful wailing of the Indians, as the soldiers stood calmly in military formation, watching us with malevolent smiles on their faces. I turned toward them and froze... Why were the Indians so severely wounded when the soldiers were completely unharmed? They didn't have a single scratch on their bodies! They stood as if nothing had happened... What had happened? Who could they possibly be?

I looked uncertainly at my exhausted brother and clenched my fists tightly, feeling utterly powerless at that moment. I frantically wondered if I, too, could transition from Healing Magic to Water Magic so quickly?! Was it that easy?! But my fears were unfounded. I only had to think about it, and Magic transformed within me! I closed my blue eyes and listened to my brother's rapid, shallow breathing. He was very tired.

"Why didn't anything happen to them?! Who are they?!..." I asked quietly. "Who could they be?"

As if in answer to my question, a White Buffalo ran out of the forest. I turned my head toward him sharply.

"They're not people! They don't exist!!!" he shouted, waving his arms at us. "They're just illusions! Nightmares of Indians who haven't forgotten our past lives! Destroy them! They..."

He didn't finish, as an invisible force suddenly struck him, throwing him against a nearby tree.

“Shut up, you red dog!” hissed the captain of the regiment that was attacking the Indians.

I looked at him, and in that moment I felt the power surging within me; I felt as if I was about to explode because I couldn't contain it. Anger and despair took over. I clenched my fists, wanting to scream with rage. It was too much. In a magical gesture, I closed both hands in front of me as if in prayer and concentrated all my strength on them.

"Water Magic! Water Magic!" I whispered sharply. "Water Magic!"

I still unclasped my hands, but kept them facing me. I saw a large ball of water within them. It was beautiful, but I didn't have time to look closely. So I raised my hands above my head and then, in one fluid motion, threw the ball of water in front of me. The ball hung in the air for a moment, spinning faster and faster, shifting into ever-new forms. Then, in a single instant, the ball transformed into a mighty water dragon, which roared down upon the disoriented army, engulfing them all.

As it did, the soldiers, with a desperate cry, vanished into the black mist. From the exertion that would have been mine moments earlier, I fell to my knees next to my brother, who was already recovering.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

"Just a little faint..."

At that moment, all the Indians who had participated in the fight approached us. They stood for a moment, watching us, then fell to their knees before us, striking their spears against their leather shields, shouting as only they can. We listened in stunned silence, then rose to our feet, and they did the same.

"You wield the magic of water and the magic of healing." "Welcome, descendants of the great Henry!" said the chief in his impressive plume. "Would you please stay with us for a while?

" "White Buffalo..." I whispered breathlessly and completely irrelevantly, running in the direction where the boy was most likely.

I spotted him under a tree, blood flowing from his torn head, but the little one was still breathing. I knelt beside him and began calling out to him, but he didn't respond. I grew increasingly desperate, until finally I remembered that perhaps the Magic I wielded could help here now... I closed my orange, gleaming eyes and placed my hands over his chest.

"Magic..." I whispered softly. "Indian magic, healing magic! Help him, help him, I implore you!"

Lightning bolts shot from my hands, piercing his body, but the little one didn't even flinch. I held my hands over his chest for a long time, then moved them above his head, until finally I placed both hands on his forehead, where I concentrated my power for a long moment.

"You have to live! You can't die, do you hear me?" I thought fearfully, afraid he would stop breathing at any moment.

"Ugh..." I suddenly heard him waking up.

"White Buffalo!" I moaned with tears in my eyes. "White Buffalo, you're alive!"

I embraced him with joy and began to cry with joy. At that moment, I felt only incredible relief that everything had turned out well. At first, the frightened little Indian didn't know how to react to my spontaneous behavior, but then he confidently embraced me with his thin arms and smiled brightly at me. Then I lifted him onto my shoulders, as he was still very weak, and we walked out into the clearing where everyone was still standing, just as I had left them. They watched us for a long time, until I heard the cry of my tearful mother, calling for White Buffalo, running toward us. When I placed him in her arms, safe and sound, I was so happy I could have screamed with joy.

The Indian village... It was a picture of misery and despair. All their cattle and chickens had been slaughtered by the soldiers, but despite this, their wigwams stood, and that was very important, as it provided a sense of security unlike anything else. White Buffalo's mother took us straight to her wigwam and, together with her young daughter, who was about twelve or thirteen years old, served us Indian food.

It was mostly meat, but it was very good, because the spices used to prepare it were fantastic! After a wonderful dinner, during which no one spoke, we were invited outside. It was already dark, so a large bonfire was lit, and all the villagers gathered around it. There were about two or three hundred of us in all. No more.

Some were still painted with war symbols, others wore deer antlers, and still others wore wolf skins. It was a truly astonishing sight. We sat around the fire in circles that widened outward.

Then we heard cheerful singing and the pounding of drums, and young warriors began dancing over and around the fire, brandishing spears and axes. We felt wonderful, because the atmosphere was incredible. At one point, as I was amusedly watching the Indians perform, a white buffalo ran up to me and sat on my lap."Hi, little one!" I laughed cheerfully. "How are you feeling? Better, I hope..."

The little one nodded and handed me something tightly wrapped in deerskin.

"Is this for me?" I was surprised as I took the package.

"Thank you! Thank you..." he whispered in my ear and ran off. When he sat down next to his mother, who hugged him tenderly, he waved happily at me, and then, along with the other children from the village, he began playing.

"Look what he gave you!" Owen urged me. When I opened the small package, I saw a carefully crafted wooden totem pole.

Painted, too! On top, with spread wings, stood an eagle, beneath it a deer with beautiful antlers, beneath it again a wolf, and even lower still a huge bear. I really liked this totem pole and decided to take special care of it, so that every time I looked at it, I would be reminded of the people who had treated us so kindly.

Only when the three suns began to rise in the sky did everyone calm down, and the entire village fell into complete silence, as if the Indians were waiting for something, and we were right in our suspicion. Owen and I watched as sparks suddenly began to fly from a large, blazing bonfire, and then colorful flames in all the colors of the rainbow began to rise higher and higher.

Suddenly, I saw human figures in the flames! I held my breath and strained my eyes to see who it could be... However, I could only make out the outlines of figures: three very tall and broad-shouldered, and one shorter and decidedly more delicate. Of course, I immediately thought of our mysterious companions who had graciously shown us the way to the Indian village when we were just getting to know them, but I didn't yet know who they really were...

It wasn't until one of the many very old Shamans gathered around the fire threw something directly into the flames that I saw the vision shared by everyone gathered there. At first, the figures blurred in the fire, followed by a huge Bear, silhouetted sharply against the flames. He stood on his hind legs, roaring menacingly, while waving his forepaws. Immediately after him appeared a Salmon, which seemed to swim in the fire's flames.

When it disappeared, a beautiful Deer appeared, seemingly traversing a vast forest of burning trees in a majestic run. Then we saw a Hawk in flight, and it was perhaps the most incredible sight I'd ever seen; I'd rarely seen anything so stunning! Unfortunately, this vision lasted only a blink of an eye... Then the fire diminished considerably, and all the Indians began to talk again, though not so loudly.

"Owen, are you thinking the same thing I am?" I asked him, looking into the fire.

"These figures who led us to the sacred grove are the highest spirits of the Indians!" he said, surprised by his discovery. "So we have had the honor of meeting them after all!

" "Exactly," I laughed happily. "How kind of them!"

White Buffalo was already asleep in his mother's arms when we slowly began to disperse to our lodges. We, too, were given a lodge of our own in which to sleep...

The forest rustled around us, a small stream, and all this was further emphasized by the silence of many, many years spent in solitude by the Indians beset by modernity... to be

BOOK OF THE DRAGON II

ACT V

Sacred Groves

Sometime in the early morning, I was awakened by the sound of a fire extinguishing. I opened my eyes and rubbed them with the back of my hand. Through the half-open tent entrance, I saw Owen leaning over the smoldering remains of last night's fire. When he noticed I was awake, he smiled broadly at me.

"Shall we continue?"

I nodded, shrugging off my sweatshirt and quickly putting on a dress. My brother soon followed suit. For breakfast, we ate sandwiches and drank some water, then packed up the tent and continued on our way. Both Owen and I slept soundly; we had no trouble falling asleep...

The day had already begun. For three suns stood high on the horizon. We weren't hot, however, because heat simply didn't exist in this Land. The only place like that was the desert; that's where the suns were most intense. We resumed our mysterious journey, heading straight for the mysterious trees silhouetted on the horizon. For now, all we could see were straight, black branches. But they were very similar to our Earthly plants...

"Do you think there's something there?

" "I have no idea. But I don't like it," he replied, pondering something. "See that? There's not a single leaf on the branches of those trees. They're completely dry and dead, and there's no grass around them either. As if something had killed everything.

" "Let's avoid that grove.

" "I doubt we'll make it..."

And Owen was right. When we crested a small hill, we saw that the trees stretched on for a very long time and that it wasn't just a small forest as we had initially thought. Owen hesitated for a moment, but ultimately, we had no choice but to enter the forest. Our unicorns descended and trotted into the trees. A dozen or so meters ahead, we reared our mounts. We stared in horror at the massive trees, their enormous branches adorned with long... long hair...! They were already faded and dull, fluttering in the light breeze just above the road leading through the forest, where even the ubiquitous grass was absent. Then, from the darkness of the trees, animal skeletons emerged, suspended from the branches, just like the hair.

"Is that hair...?" I asked in a choking voice. "...And skeletons...?

" "It looks like it," Owen replied, a little intimidated. "Those tufts of hair, they seem to remind me of something... Like some... Sure! That's how the Indians marked burial grounds." Otherwise known as sacred groves...

- Burial grounds? - I groaned, wincing. - Not that...

- Hmm... I wonder where it came from... I thought it only had to do with the Celts...

- Or maybe it's something more than Sid?

- If that were the case... If that were the case, we'd have a hard time reaching our destination.

"Don't say that..."

I followed Owen, whose Unicorn wasn't exactly pleased that we wanted to enter this terrifying forest. My Pegasus wasn't thrilled either, but he didn't put up much resistance.

"Owen..." I looked around rather uneasily.

In some places, the forest was very sparse, with only occasional large, black trees, and then we'd come across extremely densely overgrown areas.

"I don't like it here..."

The wind rustled, moving the skeletons hanging in the trees.

"Me too..." he whispered, as neither of us dared to speak aloud.

Unfortunately, we soon realized something was wrong. Instead of weakening, the wind grew stronger with each passing moment. We stopped the agitated horses, which began to snort and spin around.

"Easy..." I whispered to calm them down. "Easy!"

And suddenly, the wind stopped. In a single moment, there was complete silence and stillness. As if nothing like this had ever happened. When the dust clouds subsided, we saw four mysterious figures standing in the center before us. Three tall, powerful men and a woman. They all had long hair, woven with white feathers somewhat resembling eagle feathers. They were dressed in black leather vestments that flowed to the ground. They were adorned with both bird feathers and animal claws. The woman had strange black tattoos on her face, depicting mandalas and earthly zodiac signs. The men, on the other hand, had only a tattoo on their foreheads, a kind of headband, supposedly representing the signs of all the planets in the solar system. We dismounted from our mounts and made the same gesture of greeting as Peorth had when he greeted Mitra. The strangers responded in kind.

"Forgive us," Owen spoke first. "We had no intention of disturbing the peace of this place. We only wish to pass through." We are going to Jyxabor.

"Welcome, strangers. It is our honor to welcome you to the sacred Indian grove," said a woman standing between three enormous men. "The wind has brought us news of you, descendants of the great Henry! Welcome."

A heavy burden lifted from my heart, so I smiled with relief when it turned out we were safe.

"Surely you wish to meet us. We will welcome you for the night. For you cannot remain here any longer," said one of the men.

"Lead the way."

We followed four mysterious figures who moved silently, seemingly without even touching the ground. We were dazzled by their radiating authority and solemnity. Soon we left the main road and set off through a forest where the only things that existed were trees...

Soon, a bright, milky fog enveloped us, something that hadn't been there a moment ago. When it subsided again, as suddenly as it had appeared, we saw Indian totems. They depicted bears, eagles, foxes, and other animals typically depicted by Indians. Native American wigwams were also set up all around us, and in the center, most likely a village, a large bonfire burned with green flames, around which some Indians sat. They looked Indian, in fact; they had white, or rather gray, hair, with feathers tangled in it. Their leather garments were decorated with strange designs and utterly distinctive faces, like those we'd seen in movies before...

When they spotted us, they bowed to us and invited us to the bonfire. We sat down eagerly, surprised to find our distinguished companions gone...

"Welcome, newcomers," the chief announced, as he wore a large plume and sat in the center of a semicircle formed by people we didn't know. Indians.

"It is an honor," I said quietly.

"So you come to study the behavior of the inhabitants of Avinlion. And at the same time, you are the great descendants of our lord and king, Henry. Therefore, only you have this right. This is what we have to tell you..."

The chief gently tossed a handful of something into the fire, which rose with a crackling sound and told us the history of the Indians... Simultaneously, we heard the pounding of drums, the sound of which seemed to reach us from a great distance, never ceasing its steady rhythm. At one point, we were handed some herbs to slowly toss. Then we heard a man's voice, distant...

We were a tribe living peacefully on the plains of Earth, the blue planet of the solar system. We never waged war, we lived happily and peacefully. Our totems were sacred to us. We worshipped the gods of nature and never felt bad about it, for the spirits of the Earth protected us... One fateful day, the white men came to us. With all their wisdom and civilization, they oppressed us for so long, they persuaded us for so long, that we changed our faith. Everything we believed in, all our power and the Magic we wielded, was forgotten. As true Indians, we ceased to exist. True Indians we were never again. Everything our mothers had so lovingly taught us was only a small fraction of what we had once been capable of... There was no future before us... And yet... Yet we still dreamed of a land where we could peacefully pursue our abilities, relearn them. We longed to return to the grace of the gods of nature, we needed it... For we began to lose ourselves. There was no longer harmony between us; we were destroying ourselves. We died like Indians amid the roar of machinery, amidst the immensity of skyscrapers and the roar of traffic... We needed all our powers to call upon our nature deities. We begged them to forgive us for such a shameful betrayal and to accept us back into their midst. Seeing our plight, our benevolent deities decided to help us. However, we knew that returning to our former lands was impossible, for cities had long since sprung up there, and trees had been cut down to prevent them from obstructing and cluttering the asphalt roads... The deities had abducted us, at our own request, to Avinlion, and that is why we are here now. Only here did we find peace and rebuild our traditions and culture. Our warriors hunt in the grassy meadows of this land, our women wash clothes in the clear rivers, and our children shoot archery and ride horses. We had no chance on Earth, only Avinlion gave us a sense of security and fulfillment; without it, we would have perished, destroyed by the present. We are home, Avinlion is our home. On your journey, you will undoubtedly encounter many more earthly tribes who, to escape the present, have found their haven here. There is no other land that will help us as much as Avinlion, the Land of nature deities, the Land of Magic and energy. There is nothing more powerful than the Sun Sword; it will save Avinlion from destruction, it will protect us from the present... Our Magic has never been based on anything other than the fundamental energies flowing through the earth. We believe that only nature influences our lives; it is the most important deity; it nourishes us, shelters us, clothes us, and allows us to live. Without nature, there would be no future. Thanks to our deities, we have learned to defeat our enemies with a poisoned bow and arrow. Our powers have been revived again, not on Earth, but on Avinlion... This is our history, the history of the new Indians...

At that moment, all the drums struck in one great beat, and everything vanished. We were sitting by the campfire again, not soaring among warriors hunting buffalo, among children playing, and the other images we'd seen earlier.

"It must have been hard for you," I sighed.

"Yes, but we don't have all those problems anymore. They're over.

" "Nature deities..." Owen thought aloud. "What do you call them?

" "They are the Burning Bear, the guardian spirit of fire. The Forest Deer, the guardian spirit of all vegetation. The Swimming Salmon, the guardian spirit of water. The Cloudhawk, the guardian spirit of air.

" "These are our most important gods; they are sacred to us, and every evening we offer them sacrifices so they won't bring us misfortune.

" "What are you hunting?" I asked, surprised. "There's no game here."

"Of course there is. However, you must have a sign.

" "A sign?" we asked simultaneously.

"Yes. Wherever you stop, you will receive a sign that will help you learn more and more about Avinlion. For now, your eyes are closed to many things, but the day will come when you will know everything. Just like your grandfather. "

We exchanged surprised glances.

"The suns are setting, the warriors are returning from the hunt."

And as if he had foretold the future. Soon, warriors emerged from the mist. Dressed in traditional clothing, with long hair, painted faces and bodies, they carried bows and arrows, as well as slaughtered buffalo.

We watched for a moment as the chief and the warriors greeted each other. Then the tiny women arrived, took the bows and arrows from the warriors, and began to prepare the meat, while the men sat around the fire we were sitting by and began talking. Some went to their tents, others went back to the children. I couldn't believe we were participating in all this. I watched them and watched, but I couldn't take it all in. When a large red moon appeared in the sky, everyone suddenly stood up, and we, too, rose from our buffalo hides.

"Let's go," said the chief.

And all the men, along with us, went to a clearing where a large buffalo stood among the dry trees. The warriors circled the clearing twice while we stood, astonished, in the center. Immediately afterward, they sat down, and then we heard the beating of large drums. It terrified me. I gripped my brother's hand tightly, and he himself watched in astonishment as, one by one, every torch hung throughout the forest began to burn with a red flame. The men rose and began to dance, but they didn't enter the center of the circle. They danced around it, a strange dance of victory. At that moment, the chief handed us a large silver knife with a handle made of deer antler. We looked at it in astonishment.

"Kill the buffalo now, and then cover yourselves with its blood."

When I heard such a thing, I couldn't believe they actually expected us to do this. I looked uncertainly at the defenseless buffalo, frightened by all the screaming and the beating of the drums, and took a step back from my brother. He, too, was very surprised.

"It's a sacrificial animal. You can't offend the gods by not killing it.

" "Why?!" I screamed, not recognizing my own voice. "It's unnecessary!

" "Nothing is unnecessary, everything has its purpose. Including killing that animal. I'm warning you! If you don't do this, the nature spirits will be angry with you."

We stared at the buffalo tied up in the middle of the clearing for a long time.

"Owen..." I looked at him uncertainly.

My brother frowned and looked at me, his eyes moving from the animal.

"Come on."

I agreed. I don't know why, because if I had been anywhere else, I certainly wouldn't have done it. But the beating of the drums, the warriors' cries, and the smell of burning torches clearly had a magical meaning.

We both grabbed a knife in both hands and ran it across the animal's throat, which collapsed to the ground with a desperate roar. The screams stopped, and only their echoes reached us. Owen dipped his hand in the animal's blood and ran his hand across my forehead. I did the same, and soon we were back at the fire. There were no warriors, no women at the meat, no one but us and the chiefs, or rather, the Tribal Council. We looked at each other in surprise and felt something dripping from our right arms. I lifted the sleeve of my blouse and saw a strange mark on my arm. It was quite large and reminded me of a flower in a circle. And nothing but blood was dripping down my arm... My brother had an identical mark, in the same place.

"This is the first sign of your power." He will allow you to see all the totems around you that we have erected in honor of our deities. And now you will also see the buffalo and the wolves, and our Deities, though you will not be able to summon them anyway.

"Thank you," I said, moved.

"We have something else for you," said one of the elders on the Council.

He held out a quiver of arrows with red feather fletchings and a beautiful, massive wooden bow.

"These arrows are poisoned, so you should be very careful with them. And the magical power we have endowed this bow and quiver will ensure that you never run out of them. "

With a lump in my throat, I took the bow and arrows from him with great respect.

"The suns are rising. You must go now..."

We looked back, and at that moment four figures emerged from the mist, the same ones who had led us here earlier. The campfire and the entire village vanished in an instant, and we found ourselves enveloped in mist. Slowly, we rose from the ground and followed the mysterious figures. Soon we reached the road and stopped there. Our unicorns stood nearby, just as we had left them.

"Thank you for your guidance," Owen said gracefully.

The four magnificent figures bowed low to us, and each one approached us in turn and touched our tattoo. It turned black as night and no longer hurt as much as before. We thanked them once more, and then they vanished, vanishing before us into thin air.

Once again, we mounted our mounts and set off along the road through the eerie forest, only this time it wasn't as mysterious as before. We now knew that humans lived here too. Completely normal people... Well, no, we probably can't call them that, because they knew Magic better than we did. Certainly better, because we didn't know it at all. They were Indian shamans from the sacred grove, who gifted us with a kind of third eye, thanks to which we were able to see what we had neither seen nor heard before...

Soon we emerged from the forest, and an incredible sight unfolded before us. I gasped in awe, holding it there. We also stopped our unicorns to take a closer look.

Where we were standing, there was a high hill, even though the road wasn't uphill from the other side. It was relatively high, but it rose rather gently. The entire landscape before us was covered in grass as usual, but now, along the road, huge, almost enormous totem poles were placed. And among the tufts of grass, countless black bison grazed. They grazed completely peacefully, while three- or four-meter-tall Indian totem poles towered over them, as they were also placed here and there in the meadows...

"WOW!" I gasped, letting out all the air in my lungs.

"It looks like something out of an incredible movie.

" "This is more beautiful than any movie!" I exclaimed, galloping straight towards the herd of buffalo.

The startled animals formed a semicircle and charged down the slope. And I was among them, finally having the opportunity to feel their power firsthand. When I turned around, I saw Owen galloping right behind me, constantly urging his Pegasus. After a short while, we were galloping through the midst of a herd of thousands of huge buffalo, feeling truly happy. Then the herd veered, avoiding one of the many totem poles, and we galloped straight in the direction the road led us.

"Thank you!" Thank you!!!!- I shouted after the herd, waving my hand in friendship.

It was completely dark by then, or maybe not completely, because the large, red moon gave us plenty of light, but it was already night, and we were exhausted from the chase for freedom and the wind. I was happy to be galloping across the steppe with such magnificent animals... In high spirits, we set up our tent and lit a fire. This time, on the horizon, we saw a huge herd of buffalo grazing peacefully in the grass. We gave our Pegasi what little water they had left, and the next day we decided to get new supplies. There was still some room in our saddlebags, which were slung over the horse's back. We made ourselves dinner and went to bed... We were exhausted from the day's experiences.

Maryśka's Confidences

It was a rainy day when Marysia was sitting in her favorite wicker rocking chair, reading her favorite fairy tale, "Orphan Marysia." She thought to herself, "Oh! I'm just like that orphan!" But as often happens with these thoughts, this one too quickly fled the golden head of the little girl. Or maybe even a girl. Yes! Definitely a girl. You could even say: a young woman. Well, what's so interesting about that? Hmm... Let's think about it. Marysia will soon share her short, but that doesn't mean it's not a great, adventure...

Yes, yes... My story isn't even half as engaging as Orphan Marysia's. But I still think it's worth a close listen. It all started last year during the summer holidays, when I went to my grandmother's for the entire month of July. It was, as you might imagine, very boring. There were only old friends around, and my grandmother just kept shoving better and better treats under my nose. Oh my… I gained so much weight that summer, wow. You're probably wondering what could be so interesting about a simple stay at Grandma's. Well, there it was…

One beautiful day, as I was strolling through Grandma's field, gently lit by the red glow of the setting sun, I spotted a rabbit in the distance. I decided to catch up. I ran after it for about five minutes, but it was still just a few meters ahead of me. I was already out of breath, partly because I'd never been in good shape, and partly because of the fat that had grown all over me. That's when I decided: I have to lose weight! But unfortunately, my resolution had no foundation in reality. And so I gained and gained weight until I was fat. I didn't like it, although now I like my weight. You're probably asking: why? The answer is simple. During winter break, I joined a walrus club. Because I thought, I have some fat, and it will definitely come in handy in cold water. And maybe I'll lose some weight. So I joined. I bathed in icy water, met many people and met the love of my nineteen-year-old life…

His name was Marian, and although he was only twenty, he already had a sizable belly. He smiled and said that his "Maciuś" (which is what he called his little fat boy) came from a combination of alcohol and sweets. At first, I thought he was a disgusting character. Just a fat guy. Stupid, rude, and uncultured. Now I'm even surprised at my own thoughts back then – he was so lovely. My perspective changed the day Marian approached me and resolutely declared that his name came from mine. I really liked that statement, and from then on, I started observing him more closely. From a positive perspective. I found him to have a great sense of humor and to be very kind. And quite handsome, too. I began to gaze at him more and more often; I wanted to be near him always, and when I was, I felt positive vibes coming from him. I noticed that he also looked at me for a long time, even though I was so fat and rather uninteresting. But even though I really, really wanted to meet him, I waited for him to ask me out first. And finally, he did. I remember it like it was yesterday, even though it was two whole months ago. He said exactly this: Marysia, Maciuś is hungry, will you come with me to feed him? At first, I thought: Ugh, what is he talking about? But a moment later, I remembered who this Maciuś of his was and enthusiastically accepted his offer. We went to a bar, and that's how it all began.

Right now, I'm proud to have a soft, plump belly, and now I can't imagine an evening without a can of beer or a huge slice of cake... Girls! There's no point in losing weight! Let's be ourselves, let's not go against nature, and let's eat as much as we can!!!

Suicide District Part II

She'd been standing by the window for two hours. With difficulty, she squeezed another cigarette butt into the middle of a dozen or so previously burned ones, scattered around a tightly packed old ashtray. The entire room was filled with smoke, yet she didn't seem to notice. She was breathing in the smoke.

And you could always swap the "container" for another. The District had plenty of abandoned apartments.

Her legs were already aching. Finally, Caligari pushed an old, dilapidated chair towards her.

"Has he jumped yet?

" "No." She cut the conversation short, placing her shapely, firm buttocks on the antique leather chair. She crossed her bare legs and, lighting another cigarette, watched the scene unfolding on the roof of a building two blocks away. Her eyesight was excellent, but she occasionally held up small binoculars that resembled old theater props. However, they were state-of-the-art military equipment, like everything the group had brought into the apartment.

Anya leaned against the window, resting her elbow on her knee. They couldn't open the windows—the New Ones had too keen a sense of smell. If they smelled them or saw them, half the neighborhood would flock to their stairwell, exposing their best hiding place in months.

She narrowed her eyes as the smoke crept too close to her enormous brown eyes. She didn't take her eyes off the attempted suicide, who was turning into a murderer before her eyes. This place has that effect on everyone, she thought.

She wore only blue panties and a tank top that hugged her smooth, dark skin perfectly. The perfection of her figure was evident in every, even the smallest, slow movement. Her dark, almost black hair was tied in a bun. Only a few stray strands fell enticingly over her bare shoulders. She didn't care that the rest of the squad consisted of three men and a lesbian who was in love with her. They had to get used to her laid-back style. Or go mad. It was their business. As long as they respected her. As long as they listened to her commands and relied on her ever-reliable instincts. And for three years now, they'd been wandering the vast Suicide Quarter, living between two worlds. Between the living world, posing as law and order, drowning in panic and deception, and the wild, cruel reality of the New Ones.

She propped her foot on the windowsill and straightened. The stiffness made her muscles ache. But nothing could tear her eyes away from the boy, who was crossing the boundary between these two worlds with each passing moment, sinking and coming alive again.

He had quite a temper. He wanted to kill himself, but he was fucking the best bitch in town. And he was also destroying three males…

"Want a beer, Little One?"

Magenta. Only she had the right to speak to her that way. A female coalition was a necessity in the male unit. A necessity that, after Caspar's death, had given her leadership of the group. Or maybe in a pack. She wasn't sure anymore.

"Thanks, Maggie."

Without turning her head, she picked up the cold bottle. She placed it against the slowly healing wound on her right shoulder. A chill ripped through her body.

The boy was disappearing deeper into the building, entering through a trapdoor on the roof. She knew something he couldn't. The interior was swarming with corpses. Isolated, useless, yet mortally dangerous. All kinds of deviations, illnesses, mental disorders—all of these were suppressed by the District in Davos, as they called the building on whose roof the attempted suicide had accidentally found itself. The New Ones had such a developed instinct for self-preservation that they could distinguish the sick from the healthy. They dragged the "strange" to Davos, whose main doors opened only from the outside, and only a few were clever enough to do what a seven-year-old child could manage.

In Davos, the New Ones ate each other—sometimes there were dozens of them, sometimes three or four of the strongest. Their fate was of no concern to anyone. The natural brutality of this species had always fascinated Anya, ever since their first night in the District.

Magenta crouched down beside her. She rested her head against her leader's long, slender leg. It seemed accidental, but Anya knew that none of this girl's movements were accidental.

"How does this brat give birth?" the girl asked.

"Incredible, I'd say." She tried to keep her voice flat, but she was clearly intrigued. "He's still alive."

Magenta took the smoldering cigarette from Anya's hand and inhaled the remnants of the tobacco before she could only taste the bitter taste of the filter. She stubbed out the pipe on the windowsill and tossed it into the overflowing ashtray.

"Don't tell anyone..." Anya said slowly but firmly. "Three New Ones threw a Rattler off the roof."

Magenta looked at the squad leader in disbelief. But Anya's face was impassive.

"Seriously...?"

The lieutenant wasn't in the habit of answering rhetorical questions. She rarely offered any explanations at all. Therefore, the lack of an answer didn't surprise the girl. Yet she continued to stare at the woman's beautiful profile. She had always admired her. It was no secret. She was also in love with her. That hadn't been a secret until recently. But she knew she had to comply, try to forget her dreams. About Anya's tone of voice, different from the official one, about her touch, different from the patronizing touch of her superior. A group was a group. Especially in these difficult conditions.

But she continued to look. At the slightly parted, full lips, the slightly shorter upper lip, revealing even teeth. At the high cheekbones and those incredible, intelligent eyes.

"Why did they do this to her?" she asked, though the answer slowly formed in her mind. Everyone knew what the Rattle was for. "Was she there with that suicide bomber?"

"Yes." This time, Anya smiled gently. She liked Magenta very much, but she felt she had to keep her distance. For the good of the unit. Her charge, a few years younger than her, was just over eighteen. Yet she killed without batting an eyelid. She hadn't had any hardships, unlike most of her contemporaries. Her parents hadn't been struck down by the plague, and no one, other than a distant relative, had been torn to pieces on the city streets before the corpses were captured and locked away in the District. Quite the opposite. Everyone was perfectly protected. For generations, all members of her family had been members of the army; her family had based their existence on military service. From the age of ten, the girl had been trained by the best instructors, and she knew tricks that were black magic to many members of the regular units. This gave her a stable position in this highly unusual group. The girl's maturity was less satisfactory. But Anya saw Magenta's skin harden with each passing day, her gaze grow more determined, and her psyche, warped like the rest, take on the shape of a steely mass, irregular and battered, yet unwavering. She treated her somewhat like a daughter. However, this only worked one way. From the girl's perspective, the situation was no longer so clear.

When the would-be suicide vanished beneath the surface of the Davos roof, the Lieutenant glanced at the girl, who was now staring sightlessly out the window.

"Pass me your pipe," she said quietly, as if not wanting to break the girl's reverie.

The girl didn't even move her head, but with a deft movement, slipped the cigarette into the leader's parted lips. It was their little ritual, one neither of them could resist. Slipping the cigarette into the leader's mouth was a friendly gesture, reminding both parties of the rather close relationship they shared. Magenta felt a sense of self-worth, and Anyi was reminded of the old days, when she still had friends, people close to her. Then, only acquaintances from the industry remained, and eventually, only the squad remained. The five survivors of the nine who had entered the District over two years ago.

They sat in silence for a moment. The room was dark. Yet none of them needed light to move around the apartment, the so-called "container," with the same agility as during the day. Any light source could attract hordes of angry Newcomers. And the squad's entire advantage lay in their intangibility. They didn't exist. Neither to the Newcomers nor to the world outside.

Muffled laughter drifted from the next room. The boys were telling each other the same jokes they'd heard hundreds of times. There were no new ones. Reality wasn't funny at all. For months, they'd been telling each other the same stories, the laughs each time more artificial, quieter. But there was no other way to maintain a semblance of normalcy.

Morale. This was Anya's biggest problem. The collection of degenerate individuals that was her unit struggled to function in the isolation and general paranoia that gripped the entire city, especially the District. Suicide Land. The name couldn't mean anything good. There was nothing about it that would allow them to live longer. That's why it allowed them to do so much. Perhaps too much. Risky games, complete moral degradation, a lack of values ​​– all of this deepened the confusion of five people who knew only how to kill. On the other hand, they were the closest people to each other, they had only each other, and in their daily lives, they depended on each other more than anyone wanted to depend on another.

"I feel sorry for Rattle..." Magenta finally broke the silence.

"I know, Little..." Anya said slowly, taking a drag on her cigarette. "Me too. On the other hand, remember, she belonged to a different species; she wasn't one of us, despite the boys' approach to her, or rather, her shapely backside. Maybe now there'll be less trouble…

"You're probably right. Just because I feel sorry for her doesn't change the fact that she pissed me off like no other corpse."

Anya leaned back against the creaking arm of the chair, smiling to herself. This brat is finally maturing, she thought with satisfaction. She's growing into a woman with character.

Between puffs of sharp smoke, she said in a cool voice what had been on her mind for an hour:

"If the boy survives tonight and gets out of Davos, we'll consider helping him."

Magenta took a moment to react.

"You want to accept a would-be suicider into our group?"

"He killed pretty well, for a would-be suicider?"

This time, a sly, very feminine smile lit up the younger girl's rather unattractive face.

"You were the one watching him all evening. What else did he do well?"

Anya smiled in the darkness, but her features quickly hardened. Her voice had to be serious and decisive.

"Don't let yourself, Little One," she managed, though with difficulty. The comment might have been accurate, but there was more to it than that. The boy was adapting quickly. He could be useful, bring some freshness.

How beautifully he kills, she thought. But she quickly scolded herself for the statement, too subjective and too skewed for the leader of the group.

"He simply could be useful."

Another moment of silence.

"Okay, you're in charge." Magenta rose, resting her hand on Anya's exposed thigh. As usual, she'd held it a fraction too long.

The lieutenant took a long swig of her cold beer.

Time for bed. Tomorrow was another long day of hunting.