When do you give up, the moment you don’t know how to go on?

  Do you give up when you don’t believe you can make it?

  Do you give up when your body gives out?

  Do. you. give. up.? When you are about to die, do you give up?

  These proud Unicorns kept on going in even the most perilous times.

  When they were driven of the plains by the Ezekiel.

  They continued on, in the face of the Winter Forest with neither food nor water.

  Not even the desserts were safe for these wise but mortal beings.

  Yet despite all of their suffering there was no end in sight for them.

  Even after they reached the lake of Ys-Bareth, centuries of suppression has brought their once proud race to ruin. Yet despite facing absolute extinction they have not given up and are still trying to live to this day.

  Under the leadership of Uguane Irian Kashuan they managed to create a small lake for themselves, digging from the furthest parts of the underground river flowing to the Ys-Bareth lake.

  “And that is how we have lived for the past fifty decades”

  “We’re there, at the lake of Ys-Bareth. The only place where you can drink water in this forest. That is without the permission of the Ynni”

  “We’re going to train you here. what is your name?”

  “My name is Hi-.” I almost forgot he can’t understand me. Nobody here speaks, only the Guardian of ‘The Lake’ can understand what a person says. This is the only way I can give him an answer; “Hiraeth” In my thoughts I apologize to him.

  “Hm, Hiraeth. Well then lets begin”

  I nod my head in acknowledgement, I have to listen very carefully or I might miss something. “NO! Don’t sit down, stand up. You have to be listening to this world not sitting down and doing nothing” *Stand up and not sit down? You would sit down to learn something normally wouldn’t you?* I stretch my legs for a moment after standing uncomfortably for a while. “Hiraeth calm down, there is no need to be so nervous. You will learn it, it just takes a while”

  *Although I am not really nervous, it just feels uncomfortable to stand up all the time. It is still a nice thought, and its the thought that counts*

  “Now think of what you want to convey to the other, include in every small detail you can think of. When you are ready stomp on the ground”

  *I should start with a simple message, that should make it a lot easier to learn the basics*

  *Everything I want to convey. Hm, a hello wouldn’t do it since they would only hear the word.

  What should I think off then?*

  If you can’t convey the word then what can you? Words are supposed to have a meaning right. What is the meaning behind a word?

  I think I need to use an example to understand this.

  “Tick tick tick” I notice my fingers ticking on my legs.

  “Don’t be so impatient, you have the time” “Phew” His words help me calm down a little bit and I manage to stop my fingers from ticking.

  *Would hello work as an example? Any word should work I think but what is the meaning behind hello?*.... *Does hello have any meaning or do we just say it to start a conversation?*

  *Is hello only there to start a conversation or is starting the conversation the meaning of Hello?* My shoulders begin to droop

  *This is all just so complicated! It is just hello, for gods sake! How can it be so hard.

  Just thinking of how difficult the normal words will be makes me want to give up.*

  “Hiraeth are you giving up? If you give up in this wretched world, you will never be able to find the way you want to live the rest of this short life and you will be forever in a place not meant for you... If you don’t want that to happen, change fate with your own two hands”

  “You don’t have to tell me, I already know I can’t give up now damnit!”

  “That sounds a lot more like it Hira, even if I don’t understand what you are saying you seem to be ready to go”

  “Now lets start again”.

  *The meaning behind hello. hm now that I think of it, didn’t I already answer that? It is just trying to get attention for a conversation right*

  *It is so easy, why was it so hard before? The answer is so easy, I just had to persevere before I even started.* “Dum” I stomp on the ground, letting him know that I am ready.

  “You’re ready? Then feel it leave with the ‘Egni’ in your body”

  *What is ‘Egni’?*

  *No point in giving up now lets just try it* I try to search through body and mind.

  *I can’t feel anything, there is nothing. Nothingness*

  That is all I can feel falling into the abyss of my mind. Oblivion, when nothingness fades into forgotten times. In the place where everything ends, even darkness cannot escape. It is a place I am very familiar with, have known it for a long time. When was it again, that I first became aware of it?

  Ah, I reme- “Wake up Hiraeth, we have to get away from this place the Ynni are starting to become suspicious” Ah that was a dream but when did I fall asleep?

  “Hiraeth! Ugo yelled. Why do we have to get away from here?”

  I don’t understand, what is going on. I can still hear my heart beating in my ears from before. I think it’s for the best if I follow him for now.

  “Run faster Hiraeth! We won’t get away from this place in time! We can’t let them discover it!”

  Umpf huf huf, I can’t keep running for that long.

  “Don’t give up keep going they are getting closer!” *I can’t run anymore I already feel my legs giving out on me*

  My knees hit the rocks underneath “ARGH” they feel like they are burning! *Ignore the pain, keep on running* The memory Ugo portrayed so vividly of the unicorns being slaughtered running away from the lake pushes me to run forward but I can’t keep up .

  Ugo looks back noticing me on the ground struggling and is forced to make a quick decision. “Get on my back we won’t make it otherwise” I force my legs to push me up one more time to climb on his back, it hurts so much. But when I imagine how Ugo must have felt having lived like this for his entire life “I can bear it”

  “How long are you going to take? Quickly climb up”

  “How can the Ynni be so terrible that they drive everyone they don’t like off the lake” *Just like the bullies back in elementary school* *And I thought being hurt by those bullies was terrible* thinking that I can’t help laughing at the insignificant pain I felt back then “Hahaha! ha ha haa” thinking how stupid it was I stare out in front of me. The green hills passing me by faster than the wind. I think still with all the adrenaline in my blood *I am running for my life so why is this so much fun!?* “I have only ever read about stories like this but to experience them yourself”

  I feel the wind breezing over my face and Ugos back hitting me with every step he takes as I see the sun setting in the evening sky with the stars starting to twinkle in the seemingly alive night sky. I reminisce over the last few days *So much has happened I can’t believe I have only been here for a few days* I think of my life in school how my life was nothing more than getting by from day to day. I think back to the book I found in the library and the voice I heard when I was reading the same book. Yet none of that concerns me anymore. The forests , the flowers, the animals everything here is unknown to me. Because. I am no longer living in the same world I once lived in.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “What would my mother be thinking right now, I suddenly disappeared from there after all”... “Would there be an uproar over me disappearing?” Sigh I don’t even want to know the answer. “I miss him though” My one good friend in my old life “Jamie, I wonder what happened to him” He was a good guy despite everyone avoiding me he still came and talked to me all kinds of stuff, the books we read, the games we played or just what we would do when we got out of school. He would always distract me from the pain I had to go through every day. But one day he disappeared only leaving a personal message for me “I will be going for now, see you soon Hira.” Where did he go? I thought he might have killed himself but he never had a reason to. He wouldn’t right? Then where did he go? I wouldn’t know. I want to meet him again.

  He was just as important to me in school as Shayla was to me in Winter Forest. Always taking care of me when I needed it most and supporting me in what I wanted to do and enjoying it with me. They are alike.

  Hira-, *is that him?* Hirae- “Jamie?” “Hiraeth are you alright?” *Ah it is Ugo* “Ye-s, I am alright now” it actually still hurts but I can bear it for now, I can’t stand upright though my legs gave in on me. “Hm your legs seem to be hurt let me take a look at it” approaching me his horn reflects the light into my eyes.

  “Is something wrong? O of course, you’re hungry. I will get you some food later” *Why is he helping me so much in this world of the fittest* “You know Hiraeth, we Unicorns have always felt responsible for the destruction other animals have caused. We were the ones who gave them the power and the knowledge.

  Once the unicorns ruled the valleys with our knowledge of the world, of Egni we governed all that was sentient. We did so in peace, we solved fights, we helped the weak and supported the strong. So we all could live in peace. But we shared our knowledge, our power with the weak Ynni and intelligent Humans. They turned on us they destroyed everything we stood for and still stand for today then drove us from our own lands.” “Here you are all good now” I looked down at my leg *It healed?!* “You’re hungry right let me get some food for you”

  Looking at Ugos back becoming smaller and smaller. Left to my own thoughts I think back to when I met Jamie. “Hey I am Jamie, do you also like reading Terry Brooks?” *Why is some random guy talking to me* “No, go away” “Did you read his book Running with the Demon? I really liked how he described the main character” “Didn’t read please leave me alone” “You have got to read it here I’ll give my copy to you. Tell me what you thought later! see you soon” *Finally he left*

  “Sigh” at last school ended I’ll go by the library before heading home. Walking to the library listening to the chirping of birds “What a strange sound, why do they always make such high pitched sounds when they chirp” “Yo you read Running with the Demon yet”

  *Not him again* “Yo are you ignoring me?”

  “Come on don’t be so cold lets find you a book at the library!”

  “Hey stop pulling me!”

  “A you talked to me”

  *Shit now he is going to be even more stubborn* “Don’t start ignoring me again, you are no fun” Poke “...” Poke “...” Po- “Stop it! what do you want from me!”

  “I want to get along with someone who shares my love for books. I saw you reading Terry Brooks in class”

  “I read it ok, I really liked the wolf guardian how he was disliked by everyone yet still protected the girl with all he had”

  “I know right! and how he gave up his life in the end what did you think of the endi-” “Ah no spoilers please”

  “Oh you haven’t finished it yet”

  “No I am still reading it, I was planning on going to the library today to get the second book of the series”

  “Lets go together I want to find a new series to read I have finished the last one”

  “What do you think of Earths children that is a good series”

  “O yeah I have heard of it what is it about?”

  “Its about a girl in the Ice age whose family just died and ended up in the clan who are slightly different. They are slightly smaller and wider strong as well. It is an amazing novel”

  “You have to show it to me at the library they have it there right”

  “Yeah I read it there as well Julia recommended it to me”

  “Is Julia the librarian, you know her?”

  “We regularly talk about stories and their meaning she sometimes recommends me new books as well”

  “Cool you have to introduce me”

  “You know she doesn’t like pushy people”

  “Don’t worry don’t worry I am a real gentleman when it comes to woman haha” “Hey Julia did the sequel to Dancing with the Demon arrive?”

  “O Hiraeth yes it came in this morning and who is that boy over there. Don’t tell me you have made a friend! o I am so happy for you” I feel my face becoming hot *I became like a tomato didn’t I* “Julia!”

  “O sorry sorry haha so what is your name boy”

  “Hey nice to meet you I am Jamie, Hiras friend”

  “No you’re not you just pestered me all day into talking with you”

  “Oh come on ‘Hira’ don’t be so embarrassed”

  “Hira told me about Earths children do you have it here?”

  “You like reading as well? So that is how you managed to get through that thick head of him” “Haha it isn’t that bad he is just a little cold”

  “Ah I can’t take this anymore I am going to read where is the sequel Jule? “it is over there ‘Hiiira’ ”

  “Ugh that grinning of you, I’ll be leaving now”

  “See you tomorrow Hira”

  “Oh yeah, there is a new batch of books coming in a few days if you like you can come by there are some good works in there”

  “Ok thanks Julia”

  “Have fun with your ‘friend’” chuckle

  “He is not my friend! stop it already”

  “Yes, yes get on your way you were going back right”

  “See you later”

  *Seriously did she really have to keep teasing me that I have no friends*

  *Why does she think we are friends anyways, I don’t get along with him at all he gets on my nerves but...*

  *No, I can’t trust Jamie. But getting along with him for a bit is fine right. that can’t do too much harm can it?*

  “Hiraeth I gathered some food for you, there is even some meat in there a few animals died yesterday, seemingly they got chased away from the lake by the Ynni that is why they got so close to us in the lake” the dried out meat looked beautifully roasted *Unicorns cook meat?*

  My mouth opened so wide I felt like it would hit the ground. Ugos eyes stared at me for a second before he laughed merrily “Haha are you trying to take an overly big bite or are you surprised that we cook our meat”

  “We may not eat meat but are not so self centered that we don’t know how to take care of others” The joyfully glittering horn on top of him makes me feel at peace in my mind while his kindness warmed me to the brim of my mind. *it is so peaceful in here I feel like I can doze off being at ease. After remembering my past I’m worn out. I just want to sleep*