As I saw the other two crying, I also felt tears trying to make their way across my eyes. I held them back because I had to be strong for Rachel, for both of them. I know Veralien was trying to stay strong, too, but he couldn't help it. He's an elf. It was okay, though, cause they were both my friends who I loved, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The laughing, the crying, the good and the bad, all of it is what made this moment more powerful. It didn't matter if this was our final moment together or not because it felt like our final moment. That's what was important. That's what mattered to Rachel and me, and Veralien's words provided hope. Vakeem qua la dosh. But there was something rotten in the air. A literal stench that I could not shake off. It smelled like no mushroom or plant I'd seen before, and even though Veralien said there would be rare plants here, I couldn't see why someone would plant a flower that smelled rotten. It would disrupt the harmony of the garden. No, something wasn't right, and whether it was my instinct or my pendant, I sensed danger. I unsheathed my claymore, gripping it tightly as I stared far beyond the shrubs and trees. The other two were too busy embracing each other to notice, and while I didn't feel safe here, I didn't want to create a panic due to a hunch. I soon realized how much I was mistaken.

  Something of nightmares showed up, running like a crazy animal, but it looked like a twisted lady. Her neck was all turned around, her eyes blood-red, and her teeth looked rotten. She screeched, and all the birds and animals scattered.

  "What the heck is that?!" I yelled, holding my sword tight, my feet shifting nervously.

  "It's a wight, a demon who's possessed the corpse of a human. A dangerous and frightening foe, but your sword should be able to cut it down, and your pendant would provide the skill to do so." Veralien explained confidently. Suddenly, six more of these pale freaks, moving as fast as a deer, popped out of the bushes. My knees shook, but I got a grip almost right away. Even though I was scared as heck, I couldn't let it show for more than a second. Sweat dripped from my forehead. I wanted to bolt, but they were way faster than us. If I ran, we'd all be goners, starting with Rachel and ending with me. I had no choice.

  "Run. I'll try to stop them as long as I can."

  "We can't leave you, Thamolin," Rachel begged. She probably gave me those big eyes, but I couldn't look at her or my elf friend. I had to get ready for a crazy fight.

  "Thamolin..." Veralien said, kinda weak. I answered the only way I knew to make them feel better.

  "Vakeem qua la dosh."

  There was a short pause that felt like forever as these seven pale freaks ran at us, getting closer. "Vakeem qua la dosh," I heard Veralien say, and he sniffled a bit. I couldn't help but chuckle. He was such an elf.

  I could hear their footsteps behind me, but it got drowned out by the wights' steps, now about a dozen meters away. I was all set to fight right then and there, ready for whatever, even if it meant fighting to the death. But their legs got stuck in the moving grass out of the blue. At first, I got even more scared, thinking I'd have to deal with both the ground and the demons. But then I remembered what Veralien said about this grove being made by a Keeper, and they hated demons. It was helping me take them down.

  The wights started breaking free from the vines and plants, but I took my chance and went for it. I swung my big sword at one of their weak necks, or that's what I thought. Even with my dad's magic sword, their skin and bones were tough. It felt like I was chopping down a tree, but my sword did go more than halfway through its neck. It kept squirming and flailing its arms in a horrifying display, blood gushing from its mouth and neck. I kicked its chest to get my blade out and came back from the other side to finish the job. Just half a dozen more to go.

  One freed an arm and tried to scratch me, but the magic took control, making me sidestep and counter with an upward swing, slicing off three of its fingers. I let out a loud yell as I brought down my sword on its skull. The blade only went about six inches deep and got stuck. The demon screeched, and its face was now half-split. To make things worse, some of its blood splashed into my left eye, blinding me. I stumbled back, leaving my sword stuck in the monster's head. It hit me that the pendant kept me safe when another wight tried to bite me. I was ready to grab my sword, but one of the wights broke free from the plants and lunged at me.

  I rolled away and instinctively grabbed a branch about a meter long and pretty thick. It would be enough to hurt a man, but I wasn't sure how effective it would be against these creatures. It had to do because the wight charged at me again. I blocked two of its claw attacks with the branch and smacked its skull hard. The branch should have snapped, but it didn't. Like the plants in the grove, it seemed magical. It didn't seriously hurt the demon, though, and it started attacking again. I sidestepped, and the vines grabbed it, giving me a chance for three solid swings on its head before another wight broke free and came after me.

  My courage was building as I realized how easy it was to dodge them here. I wasn't alone; the whole grove was helping me, a powerful partner! They struggled with their footing as the grove shifted beneath them and vines pulled at their limbs. Every chance I got, I swung my club, making bones crack.

  As much as I enjoyed the battle, I was thankful when a vine from the grove reached out, holding my father's sword. The wights now softened up, became much easier to cut through. With each swing, I severed a limb or a head. One after another, the wights dropped before my father's sword. There were only two left; victory seemed close. However, my spirits sank as I spotted at least a dozen more appearing from the shrubs, accompanied by other demons I didn't recognize. Despite the grove's assistance, exhaustion set in, and I knew I stood no chance. A single unlucky blow could be the end of me.

  Realizing my limitations, I sheathed my sword and ran with the club in hand. I had barely covered a meter when a sharp pain shot through my calf. I tumbled to the ground, struggling to rise, but the pain intensified. Turning around, I saw one of their claws detached from the demon and stuck in my calf. The demons closed in, and the grove could only hold them back for so long. I was faced with the grim reality of death, but I refused to go down without a fight.

  I attempted to smash the hand gripping my leg with the club, but my strike was weak. Something was draining my strength, and my muscles began to stiffen. Limping away proved futile, and I couldn't escape or defeat them in my weakened state.

  All of a sudden, my feet were lifted off the ground, and I found myself zooming at speeds I had only dreamed of. It wasn't my doing; something had grabbed me. Trying really hard, I strained to turn around, and what I saw was something from my worst nightmares. A huge green giant loomed above me, with a pointy nose, long dark braided hair, a strong chin, and a bit of a sloped forehead. It wasn't ugly, exactly, but it was terrifying. Standing over 3 meters tall, its muscles made my dad look like a kid. Even if I could move, I didn't think I had a chance against this demon. I closed my eyes, giving up on myself. No one, not even my dad, could save me now.

  The demon dropped me off in a nearby cave. I sensed something big moving behind me but was too weak to turn. The creature was coming close, and from the smell, I figured it wasn't a monster but a beast, maybe a bear. I was being given to a pet bear. It was no use worrying; nothing could change what was happening to me. I just hoped Veralien and Rachel had gotten away. Vakeem qua la dosh... though, it seemed really unlikely.

  The bear walked right over me, and the big demon started goofing around, wrestling with its furry buddy. The bear strolled away, and the giant came toward me. It gently pulled the claw out of my leg and put its massive hands on my wound. I gasped, and suddenly, I felt strong again. I sat up quick, looking right at the creature. Maybe it wasn't a demon after all, but I still wasn't sure what it really was.

  "Kor'tish," it said, pointing at itself like it was reading my mind.

  "Thamolin," I said, putting my hand on my chest. "Kor'tish, I need help finding my friends and keeping them safe. They're both young like me, but one's an elf boy, and the other's a human girl."

  Kor'tish got up and started talking to a bird. It got me frustrated; we couldn't understand each other. Even with the language problem, my friends' lives were on the line. The giant reached out to grab me, but I backed away. It's weird when something that big reaches for you. Seeing I was scared, Kor'tish knelt down and pointed to his back. I climbed on, and even with my strength from chopping wood and sparring with my dad, I had a hard time keeping my balance. Kor'tish moved fast, like a horse, but could climb trees and jump super high. I didn't know how he knew where our friends were, but he seemed to have it all figured out.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Even though we were going fast, Kor'tish was good at staying hidden. I was glad for that because we couldn't waste any time. But where were all these demons coming from? I hadn't seen any before today. I pushed those thoughts away. Right now, I needed to focus on saving my friends and checking on Old Oak. And there they were, running for their lives. There were wights around them, but the creatures didn't seem to be chasing. Maybe all the plants hid them from sight and smell. Still, I couldn't be sure they were safe, and we had to stop these demons from hurting them or anyone else.

  "There," I whispered, pointing to my friends. Kor'tish hopped into a thick shrub nearby, gently setting me down before disappearing into the bushes and continuing his fast run. Rachel and Veralien turned around, only seeing me coming out of the shrub, which kind of hurt.

  "Thamolin, you're…" Rachel started to say, but Veralien quickly covered her mouth.

  "I am excited to see our friend too, but we must stay vigilant and silent, as there are several demons about. How did you defeat all those wights and catch up to us, completely unharmed and without breaking a sweat?"

  "It wasn't me. I got saved and carried by some green giant called Kor'tish. He went back into the woods. I can't be sure because it can move through the trees without leaving a trace, but I think it's looking out for us right now."

  "Green giant, you say? I wonder what it was. Anyway, I'm glad you're safe. We need to get out of here. Everyone needs to evacuate Old Oak."

  "We're tough, you know. The folks in Old Oak won't just leave."

  "I can guarantee your father would want to evacuate, and most of the villagers will heed your father's warning. We need to get there before these abominations, but we need to do so cautiously."

  "Can we go? I don't like being here," Rachel said.

  "Let's move," I nodded, leading the way back to Old Oak. We took off, but we were disturbed by the demons running through the woods, like wolves or something, chasing after us. When I faced those wights earlier, a whole grove helped me beat them. Even with my dad's sword, beating just one wouldn't be easy for me. They were faster and stronger than me. If one hit my blade, I might lose it because of the force. I didn't know if I could dodge them consistently, even with my dad's pendant. But I knew who could. If we could make it to Old Oak in time, my dad could take them all down. We had to get there. He was our only hope. With that in mind, we hurried, no stopping, no second-guessing. But we were too late. Smoke started rising from the south, where Old Oak was. I ran as fast as I could, kinda forgetting the others.

  "Thamolin! Wait!" Rachel shouted. I hardly noticed the voice. I was so worried about my family. Not so much my dad, for I knew he could hold his own, but my grandparents.

  It was a miracle that I didn't run into any wights on the way unless they were after a bigger target. Old enemies of my father? But there it was, the village, or what was left of it. Bodies, everywhere, and not wights. Militia men and women I trained with were torn to shreds. Most of them were disfigured beyond recognition. Intestines were spilled on the floor, eyeballs were gouged out of their sockets, and throats were ripped out. Blood covered their gambeson uniforms, which had large claw marks through them and the walls of the homes. Brain matter was scattered on the floor, and the iron weapons of the militia were bent or shattered. The scene was gruesome and appalling, but I did not have the time to mourn. I heard a sound coming from nearby. Footsteps, and a few of them. I will avenge the fallen.

  " Thamolin..." a gloomy voice echoed. I spun around, blade in hand, ready to fight, but it was Gregory, the baker.

  " What are you doing here? Aren't you scared of the demons?" he asked. The pain in his voice reflected my own. So many were gone.

  "Thamolin, just got back?" he inquired. The pain in his voice was familiar. I nodded. "Did... did we push them back?"

  "Not we. Our weapons were useless. It was your father. He fought them off," Gregory explained.

  "He's alive? Where is he?" I asked eagerly.

  "I can't say if he's alive," Gregory replied.

  "What do you mean?"

  "It happened so fast. Everything was normal, then creatures swarmed from the woods. Dozens. Our militia couldn't touch them. They were tearing us apart. Men, women, kids, all torn limb from limb. William yelled for everyone to hide. Once they thought he was the only one left, he led them to the tavern, set it ablaze, and ran. He saved us, but we don't know what happened to him."

  Upon hearing this, a smile sneaked onto my face. I believed my dad was still alive, and even if he wasn't, he went out like the hero I knew him to be. But abandoning him, or anyone else here, wasn't an option.

  "Did you see where he went?"

  "Thamolin, you can't really be thinking of finding him. You'll for sure get killed."

  "I have to try. I'm my father's son."

  "You're not going anywhere," another familiar voice said. It was To'darrien. "We're leaving Old Oak. There's nothing left here, and your dad didn't die so you could get yourself killed too."

  "We don't know he's dead," I replied.

  "Yes, we do, and we must leave Old Oak. All of us. Those wights weren't there by chance. There were too many, and the undead don't work together like that without a master. Necromancers will be here any minute. We must go now."

  "I'm staying," I said, standing my ground.

  "Me too," Gregory added, tears running down his face. "I gotta bury my daughter."

  "If you bury her, you'll soon join her."

  "You heartless bas..."

  "I'm trying to save your life, you stubborn fool!" Tod shouted, and all the other villagers started gathering around us. "We must evacuate Old Oak, and with haste. Take your belongings and your dead with you if you have to, but every second you wait risks your life and the lives of your family."

  "Who put you in charge?" one of the guys shouted.

  "No one, but anyone with wisdom would heed my words. I have lived for four hundred years, and not because I am a fine warrior. Those who wish to follow me, feel free. I will not linger any longer." He started walking off, and a bunch of people tagged along. Veralien was in the crowd, but his dad held him back. My elf buddy looked at me and tossed his phrase from a distance again. The words sounded like a calming tune in the middle of this mess. Vakeem qua la dosh.

  Rachel sprinted over to me, wrapping her little arms around me. "Thamolin, you're safe!" she cheered. Her family trailed close behind, offering a half-hearted smile my way. It wasn't personal; it was just tough to be happy after what they'd been through. "Thamolin, we're heading to the capital. Come with us. My family would love to have you."

  "Rae Rae, I can't go. I have to do something first."

  "Your dad's a hero, Thamolin. He saved everyone. Come with us. We'll treat you like our own son," Rachel's dad urged.

  "If he's gone, I need to see it for myself. I won't leave him, no matter what."

  "You're as stubborn as he was," Grandpa Paul chuckled.

  "Grandpa, don't try to stop me."

  "I won't. I know you won't listen anyway. Take these." He handed me some matches, clothes, and bottles of alcohol.

  "What for?"

  "Molotov cocktails. Burn those wretches. Check the tavern; you'll see. Your dad took out at least twenty of them with these. Just pop the bottle, stuff the cloth, and light it up."

  "Thanks," I said, giving him a tight hug. I hugged Grandma Millie, Rachel, and her folks, too.

  "Love you," Millie said.

  "All of us do," Rachel's mom added.

  "Just be careful out there, kid. Once you know about your dad, leave. Even if he's gone, don't try to be a hero and go after them," Grandpa Paul warned.

  "I promise I'll split as soon as I find out what happened to him." We headed in different directions. My grandparents went with Rachel's family, Veralien followed his old man, and I set off to find mine. In reality, I might already be an orphan. There was only one way to know.