Memory

It didn't take Marcus too long but since the body was still hot he could freely do it without much movement. Meanwhile, Estel left our side and went to find a cave where we could hide.

He skinned the animal. There was a lot of skin. Why? I asked myself. The boar, more like a hog, was enormous. I have no idea how they killed that thing… It's the size of around ten people. Fully grown men.

"Guys… We have food! A lot of food! And skin." Marcus turned to us covered in blood and even more of it falling down from the dagger. "Matthew… It reminded me about something. What's with the mana crystal?"

"We can make more clothes out of the skin. And we have a lot of food which is even better. Now we just need to find a place to hide. A good place. Maybe even try to get some lines or anything. And when it comes to the mana crystals… I'm almost finished with recreating them. But the mana overall… It's very weird. Those crystals… Are leftovers of old mana. Like ancient users left those for generations. They also themselves generate… They don't take it or anything. They are specially created to generate power that it already has. Like multiplying it… Very weird material… What if you make a sword out of it? I will need to find out…" I just realized that Matthew had the easiest way here. His body was small so it kept his body temperature very well. Besides that his whole body is… Very… Hairy. So he almost had a blanket under his shirt. Which I add. Is also long to his knees.

"This mana is very… Mysterious." Marcus added while trying to clean himself from the blood. "They hide that power in the ground… It can generate more on its own… That seems very weird." He explained and looked at the handcuffs. "What if those don't work on mana?" A good thought… What if it actually doesn't? Well, it doesn't matter since we can't grasp that power anyway…

Estel came back from the omniscient woods. The trees are curved like scimitars. Willow.

He is covered in leaves and dirt. What happened on his way here?

"Guys…" He couldn't catch a big breath. "I've… Found…" I think he ran really quick to get us here. Incredibly quick. "I found a cave." As those words left his mouth me and Marcus took the corpse and Matthew took the skin left on the ground. The hog's body is still a little hot so it's even better if we do it. Since Matthew already has his body hair we can take the heated body with us. The only thing is that… It's disgusting. Its blood is falling down and the smell… I want to puke but I have to keep it inside. "It's not very far away but we should speed up. It will be very annoying if someone else found it." I noticed that Estel had the two sticks from before on him. Even while running…

I took it to my heart… He really cares about it…

We went like that for about three minutes and after those, a view of the cave slowly started showing itself on the horizon. A big entrance. And deep darkness inside.

"Were you inside?" Marcus asked him.

"No. I only had a small peek inside of it. I know that it's not very big." Estel answered while looking a little deeper inside. "It's clear." He added. I think he didn't hear anything from the inside and also didn't see anything. Probably.

We slowly walked inside the cave. It was freaking cold. Crazy cold. But we had those damn leaves… How the hell does it work? God…

"Before we actually go in we need fire. And make something to protect us from the cold." Estel said and in that instant, Matthew threw the skin on the ground and started looking for big branches. We all joined him. Finding big branches wasn't a big problem since they broke out like matches. We gathered a good stock of branches and some logs. But now we have to make a door out of it somehow…

"Let's take the logs and make a door out of them and use branches to enforce them." I looked around and realized that we don't have enough logs. "We need to find a little more though." He added as if he was able to read my mind.

And so we just went to find even more logs, sticks, and other things that may be useful. At the same time, Marcus already started trying. Trying… To make fire behind the logs.

"Guys… We need more wood…" Marcus quietly said. I know what it means… We will have to find the fire beast or have an incredible amount of luck.

"..." No one said a word. Everyone knows what it means. There will be a huge risk. But the reward may save our lives…

"Matthew stay with Marcus here. I will go with Hayden." Estel nodded.

"Wait… Why?!" Matthew refused to stay around the 'camp'. Well, it will become a camp once we get some fire going for now it's just a cave.

"If we will have to run you know what will happen…" Estel made a quick riposte. Matthew went to the cave and punched the wall so hard that his whole fist went red.

"Okay…" He sobbed. He really enjoys doing this kind of stuff it seems…

"Hayden let's go." He pointed in the direction of the woods once again… The dark blue… Forest… Just now… I realized that the woods look a lot more like… When I met that woman. The day before my demise. I looked up at the sky. But it was neither dark nor sunny. It just was… The cosmos. Stars and everything that belongs to it. I looked at it for a second… Beautiful. "We don't have much time Hayden," He added.

"I know… Let's go." I looked behind myself as we were walking away from the cave. We both had spears in our hands. With the edge of my eye while turning, I saw Matthew waving his hand. A nice small gesture...

"You never went hunting before… Right?"

"Hunting? I thought we were going to find branches?!" I shouted, almost angry. I don't want to die! I don't even want to ask any more questions. Please! Just let me out! Flora… I want to see her smile again… I want to see it again… That sun that I've lost… The last spark I still had. Please… Please! Let me see her again!

Tears started falling down. No control over them… Everything I remember about her just came to me… Back to me… Her blonde hair and shining eyes…

"You can fight the bad guys!" That memory came as well. Even more, tears started flowing down. Estel looked at me not knowing what to do. I don't want to die…

"Bad guys?" Who… I know who. I know. First thing… The very first thing I gave to do… Is to escape this hell… I will… 'Fight the bad guys'. I once again looked up to the sky. I saw her face… And now I remembered. She is not here anymore… I have nowhere to go. No one to save… But those words… Were almost her last. So I will do it. Even if I will be despised. Humiliated. And not able to go on. I will just stand up.

Once again. I looked Estel dead in the eye. He got scared. It looks as if he had something in mind. Something like "What is going on with him". With terrified eyes. We just wandered off further. I wasn't scared. No fear. Only anger. I heard Estel loudly swallowing his spit.

I was holding the spear ferociously. With a strong grip. I don't want to ask any more questions now. I just want to leave this place. And to do it… To accomplish the goal… To avenge Flora… The woman that raised me as her own...The only thing I can do is hold to her last words… And fight the 'bad guys'. I need to survive. I have to. So we went on. Both next to each other…

"Hayden… Are you okay?" He asked me once again. I don't know which time it already is. Fifth? Sixth? It doesn't matter. The answer is clear.

"I'm okay," I answered quickly and confidently. No hesitation in my words at all. He only looked at me one more time with a curious look. A scared one as well… Many expressions could be seen. But he ignored it. He knows that it doesn't matter right now. I whipped the tears off my face. Afterward, we went on into the woods and looked after an orange fog. That of fire. And the thing left after it… Destruction...