Cold air washed through the white haired boy's exposed face, causing him to flinch and snug deeper into the animal hide blanket and the source of warmth behind him. He shivered, despite the soft, warm thing behind him, it's still not enough. He reached out his hand, grabbing blindly for the blanket to cover his face, but instead, his fingers landed on something...fleshy. The boy's violet eyes shot open, despite the cold, pea-sized rolled down his forehead as he looks down, a pale arm was wrapping around his body, a pale, tattoo-covered arm attached to a hand with long fingers tipped with sharp claws. A small gasp escaped his mouth, his eyes glued to the long tail covered in silvery white fur that just casually rested on his legs.

- YAH! - The terrified boy cried out in horror, swinging his elbow backward, trying to get away from the monster that's resting behind him.

- ACK!

A loud gag, then the arm lifted, giving Haru just enough time to roll away to the opposite side of the cave as whatever it was that was lying behind him. Panting heavily with his eyes wide opened, the boy watched in horrors as the owner of the arm and tail, a man with long, silvery white hair and amber eyes hugged his neck where the boy's just elbowed, coughing and gagging in pain as his raptorial legs scrape the moss-covered floor of the cave they're in. Then something snapped inside Haru's mind, another horrifying realizations of what he's done, of all the things that have transpired the last several days.

- Keto-san! - He yelped, clumsily tripping on his own hands and feet as he scurries toward the now calmed yet still panting man. - I-I'm sorry! I p-panicked! - He stuttered, feeling his face warmed from embarrassment in a vain effort to explain himself.

- How can...someone so small...elbow so hard...? - Panting, Quetz asked jokingly, still rubbing at the spot where Haru's hit him.

- Haru! Keto-san! - Another person rushed into the cave, a girl, older than Haru with black hair and brown eyes. - Is everything alright?! I heard screaming!

- I got...bwagh! ...Elbowed... - Quetz smirked, coughing and gagging as he does.

- I'm sorry! - Haru yelped guiltily, shivering in fear as the white haired man slowly sits up in front of him.

- That's quite a blow. - Quetz chuckled, leaning forward so close to Haru that their forehead touched in a gentle collision.

- I didn't mean to... - The white haired boy whimpered, shakily tried to explain his action, an instinctive response to cope with the countless punishments inflicted on him at the village.

Quetz's amber eyes dimmed, as did his smile which has faded as he looks at the boy. The older male looked up at the girl, Mitsuki, wordlessly asking her what it was that has made the boy so scared, only to receive a sad glance before she too turned her gaze from him. A soft, quiet sniffing sound made the white haired man's long, pointed ear twitch and caused him to look down. Haru wasn't crying as he's originally thought. The boy gave a single sniffle, and that's it, no retaliation, no emotion showing. He just...sat there, patiently waiting for the punishment that he's grown accustomed to.

- Haru. - Quetz called out, gently, quietly but firmly, his index finger brushed against the boy's jawline, then lifting his chin slowly so that their eyes could meet. The man took a good, deep look into those eyes, violet gems shone with fear and anxiety. He inhaled deeply, it pained and angered him so much, seeing the boy like this, so much so that he thought he couldn't say anything without yelling. But, he must do it. - Don't be like that. It's not your fault.

Something changed in those large, amethyst-colored eyes, gone were the fear, anxieties and guilt, replaced by surprise, confusion...relief. For a brief moment, Quetz and Haru just sat there, eyes locking into each others as both minds try to process the situation. The white haired boy looked down, then quietly nodded, still confused by the turn of events, he's never been talked to like that before, being told it's not his fault by someone who's not from his family. He scooted himself forward, then resting his forehead onto Quetz's chest, much to the white haired man's and Mitsuki's amusement.

- I'm sorry... - The boy whimpered, yet now his voice was made vacant of the guilt and fear that has always plagues his mind and voice.

- Nothing to sorry about. - Quetz smiled and pulled him into a hug, then he turned to Mitsuki still standing there. - Is...uh...breakfast ready?

- W-what? - The girl blinked out of her haziness, then scratching her head Oh. Uh...about that...

***

Loi crouched behind the large boulder, eyes glued onto a small deer just a few meters away, grazing nonchalantly amongst the tall grass with only its back visible. He slowly moved closer, making sure that he's always downwind from his prey while carefully survey the ground in front of him before taking a step. An hour have passed since the tanned boy first set out to hunt for breakfast, yet even in the cold, foggy atmosphere of the early morning, the animals here were still in high alert, making hunting difficult, especially for him. He's failed for several times, this would be his last chance before daylights become too bright for him to hide in this opened grassland. Quietly, the tanned boy crept toward the deer, occasionally stopping when his quarry looked up, ears twitching anxiously. Something spooked it, Loi thought, clutching the spear in his hand tightly, it's now or never.

Loi leapt toward the deer, spear raised high, readied to plunge into the flesh of the prey. But the deer was fast with its reflexes, a quick glance and its legs were already in position to run away, if only it had the chance to do so. Before Loi's eyes, a black tipped arrow screeched as it tears through the air, burying itself into the deer's flank. The animal let out an anguish yelp and fell to the ground, yet it still live, like the doe in the Forbidden Woods, it was so shock that it didn't feel the arrow at first. Yet the black arrow has hit home, as the deer was only able to limp for a few steps before collapsing, succumbing to its wound.

Loi landed onto the spot where the deer has stood grazing, eyes watching as a tall and dark figure rushes pass him on raptorial legs. The figure stomped down onto the deer's neck, ending its misery and removed his hood, revealing the white haired man with his long hair now tied into a ponytail. He lifted his foot from the deer's neck and made his way to the boy, extending his clawed hand to help him up, the other hand holding a bow carved from a weird material the color of ivory with small blue gemstones encrusted into it.

- I had it. - Loi mumbled, standing up by himself.

- Sure you did. - Quetz said teasingly. - That's why we had to wait until I wake up to have breakfast.

- Could you just...stop? - Loi closed his eyes shut, trying to calm the boiling anger inside him. - Isn't taking Haru away from me enough for you?

He quickly covered his mouth, sweats rolling down his forehead as he realized what he's just said. Loi looked at Quetz, who didn't show any emotion, those gleaming amber eyes only watched him with...curiosity. The older male reached down, grabbing the deer by its broken neck and threw its body over his shoulder then walked back to the direction of their campsite, not uttering a single word, much to the tanned boy's annoyance. He hates when Quetz just went silent like that, as if Loi's not worth his time, he turned toward the leaving older male, opening his mouth to protest.

- It's best that you don't say anything. - Quetz was quick and his voice was cold, commanding, so much so that Loi's mouth snapped shut almost immediately. - I don't want to upset Haru even more.

- What do you mean? - Loi's frowned. - What did you do? What happened?

- He elbowed me. - The older male replied. - It didn't hurt much, but he was scared that I'd punish him. - He stopped for a moment, taking in a deep breath to fill his lungs with the cool air then turned to the tanned boy, his eyes heavy with concern for the white haired boy. - ...What exactly...did they do to him?

- I...they...

What escaped Loi's mouth was an indecisive stuttering, as he did not expect Quetz to ask such a question. It was too sudden, the tanned boy knew that the older male would ask about it or Haru would act out sooner or later, but it was too soon, he hasn't prepared himself to answer that question yet. He wasn't readied to betray Haru's trust yet.

- Did...did he...ask you...not to ask me? - The tanned boy started with a question.

- Yes. - Quetz nodded. - Just before I leave, he...made me promise not to talk about it.

- Then...you shouldn't. - Loi said, keeping his head low to hide the anger building up in his eyes, remembering what those older kids did to his beloved brother.

The white haired man narrowed his amber eyes, yet didn't protest. Quietly, he walked toward their camp, followed by Loi skulking behind him with his head still kept low. They first followed the trail of familiar landmarks that they've passed, then the column of smoke slowly raising higher and higher, signaling that Mitsuki and Haru were preparing whatever left of the food they've taken with them before leaving their home. As Quetz and Loi walked pass the tree lines, Mitsuki was busied with the soup made from the remaining rice and beans, along with whatever edible plants that she could find near around the camp. Behind his sister, Haru sat silently, back facing at them, his head was lowered, as if staring at something at his feet.

- Haru? What did you got there? - Loi asked, walking toward his brother.

- O-oh, you're back. - The white haired boy turned around, startled by his brother's call.

- OH FUCK! - The profanity escaped Quetz's mouth as he saw Haru's hands and lower arms were covered in blood, one hand holding a small knife, the other holding what was once a small animal.

- WHAT DID YOU DO?! - Loi immediately dropped his spear, both hand reaching up to grip at his hair in sheer terror.

Haru froze in place, petrified by his brother and Quetz's reaction, his violet eyes were all but bulging outward while his mouth was moments from falling off his face. Memories of the bullies flashed in the boy's mind, memories of how they screamed and cursed at him. Suddenly Loi's face became so...unfamiliar to him and Quetz was ten times more terrifying than the first time they met. Suddenly, the world around him didn't make sense anymore, the terrified people in front of Haru were just that, people, their faces became blank, emptied of all features, their bodies a blur of movements and colors, the sounds they made became distant and distorted beyond his under standing. The only things that were clear to Haru were the sensation of something soft, wet and warm in one of his hand and something hard in the other. Shakily, he looked down at his wet arms to see them covered in blood, with one hand holding what he thought was a rabbit, half skinned and mutilated beyond recognizing.

- D-did I...did I...d...di...do...tha... - He stuttered, shakily holding both the knife and the rabbit in his hands.

Oh gods, what have he done? The boy asked himself, violet eyes glued to the abomination of his own making. He panicked, the distorted sounds the others were making were now even more difficult for him to hear now that his ears boiled with blood. Hot, shaky short breaths escaped his mouth, he wanted to scream, but all that came out from his wide opened, gagging mouth were wheezes and inaudible grunting. No. It can't be. He can't be the one who did it! It's not his fault! It's not blood on his hands! He didn't do anything wrong! He didn't do it! There must be something he can do to get rid of it. Maybe if he could just cut it off. Maybe if he could just...

- Haru! Haru! Snap out of it dammit!

The voice echoed in Haru's mind, becoming clearer and clearer amidst the buzzing and distorted voices. It sounds familiar. The man calling for him was familiar. It was Quetz.

As abruptly as it has began, the haze that overwhelmed Haru's mind disappeared, causing everything to rush his senses as one. The first thing the white haired boy felt was the warmth and wetness of his tears on his face, the he bent over, coughing and gagging into Quetz's chest as his lungs expand and collapse rapidly and uncontrollably. Tears now poured out from his shut eyes, but he could still the older male's hands around his wrists, keeping him from accidentally hurting himself with the knife. He tried to open his eyes, to open his mouth and say something but couldn't get any word out between the coughing and gagging, what audible sound he did make were crying and yelping from the pain his body was going through. His trembling hands let go of the knife and the small carcass, fingers extending and curling, desperately finding something to hold as Haru tries to call Quetz's name.

- Ke...! K...! Ka...!

Immediately, Quetz's hands relinquished their holds, in their places, his arms wrapped around Haru's back, pulling him into his chest, allowing the boy to grip at his back and cry into his shoulder. It felt horrible, even when Quetz's holding him, it's still hurt so much, it felt like Haru's inside was being churned around, until last night's dinner came out onto Quetz's back. Yet the older male didn't let go, he simply held Haru in his arms, soothingly caressing his back while barking out inaudible orders to Mitsuki and Loi.

It took another five minutes or so until Haru's convulsing finally stopped, having depleted the entirety of his energy, leaving him to shiver in the white haired man's arms, vomiting out a final load before his breathing finally returned to normal. His mind was a haze, all he could perceive was the warmth of Quetz's body and his movements as he shifts themselves to the boulder and sat him onto his laps.

- W-will he be fine? - Mitsuki asked, kneeling next to the pair with a flask of water in her hands.

- He's weak. - Quetz said quietly, caressing Haru's hair. - But he'll be fine, he just need to rest.

- Wh-what just happened? - Loi stood near them, looking at his brother with a dumbfounded mixed with horrified expression on his face, he's seen Haru broke into tears before, but this...

- He had a panic attack. - Quetz explained, not lifting his gaze from the shiver boy in his laps. - His body went into overdrive because of stress without him realizing, and when he did, he wasn't prepared for it.

- So... - Loi frowned, not understanding what the older male was saying in the slightest. - you're saying...

- What exactly happened to him? - Quetz snapped his gaze upward to Loi, amber eyes pierced into his mind and soul with searing questions. One way or another, he will have the answer, and the tanned boy knew he wouldn't be able to hide it from him.

***

Quang sat quietly next to the now extinguished fire pit, slowly sharpening his axe with a stone while contemplating on how to protect what left of his tribe. Before the exodus, their tribe numbered more than a thousand, now a third of that is either dead or lost. There have been other survivors, pockets of people that couldn't catch up, from either their own village or from other tribes that lived near them, driven out of their home by the volcano and the monsters. Monsters that have been harassing and hounding their every step on their way to the Mountain's Maws, the place where he and every other chieftain were told to go to, should their home be destroyed.

They were lucky though, having crossed the rivers when the water was at its lowest, they've managed to cut off most of the pursuing monsters. Most, but not all. The old chieftain reminded himself as he stood up and walked toward the edge of the hillside. He's chosen a good place to rest and make camp, the rugged landscape dotted with growths of pine trees, rocky hills and outcrops provides ample defensible positions, while the open grasslands make any attempt to sneak up on them nigh impossible.

Yet sneaked up on they were, as Quang moved his head from side to side slowly, he could see small shadows dashing in and out of the corners of his vision. They were being watched, but by the monsters, they were too elegant, too agile, too quick and decisive to be monsters.

- Elves... - The older chieftain mumbled to himself, catching a glimpse of the petite figure classed in dark purple light armor before it disappeared from his vision completely.

- Chieftain? - A huntress approached, she looked around nervously before making a few more steps toward the towering figure. - The hunting party have some...unnerving reports.

- What is it? Did you find any sign of Quetz's group? - The old chief asked, not turning to face the huntress.

- No chieftain, not since they were separated. - The huntress shook her head, despite not seeing her face, Quang knew that she was smiling. - We found tracks, chieftain, markings and monster corpses with their hands pointing at...

- The mountains?

- Y-yes chief, - Huntress was surprised by her chieftain's answer. - how did you know?

- It's been foretold. - The old chief mumbled and turned around. - Is everything prepared?

- We still need to help the elders and wounded, chieftain. - The huntress replied. - We have another report, apparently some of the monsters did followed us to this side of the last river we crossed, and a hunter reported seeing a massive plume of dust cloud due east.

- How far?

- Two days of walking, give or take. We also found signs of other tribes. Considering the size of the abandoned campsite, I say that it's likely that it's their main bulks.

- Hmm... - Quang frowned, contemplating the situation. - Return to post, tell everyone to prepare to move out, if other tribes did pass through here, we should be able to catch up with them.

The huntress nodded and left him for the campsite where most of the refugees have already prepared for their long trek, with their tall tents and campfires the only things that haven't been dismantled. But with the chieftain's order, the tall tents were slowly pulled apart, first the wall of animal hide, leaving the frames looming like skeletal remains of great beasts before they too were unmade. Within the hour, the massive camp has already been cleared out, its people prepared and accounted for, thanks to the helps of the nomadic tribesmen that they've found on the way.

With the chieftain's order, came the voices of unease, as the more skeptical members of the tribes started to chitter amongst themselves, talks of abandoning the main group or steal from the weak and defenseless with a minor case of robbery prevented. It was unavoidable, Quang thought as he leads his people into the wilderness. They didn't have time to prepare for the exodus, most of the crops were not harvested due to the attacks, what little food that they did bring was already dwindling, and they still have at least two more days to reach their destination. It didn't help that they're heading into a tundra either, finding preys on the lowlands was hard enough, but here...

Quang adjust the wolf fur scarf, protecting himself from the cold winds, behind him marched a horde of refugees at least seven hundreds strong, many of which were children and old people. He sighed and pushed onward, toward the mountains, passing ancient ruins and pine forests. And they weren't alone as he's come to realized, every step that he took, he could feel countless eyes watching his cohort of refugees, hearing the phantom footsteps every time they stop to let their beasts of burden rest. The elves' numbers have grown, just as Quetz have said they would when he told Quang and the other chieftains to take the paths toward the Mountain's Maw. That's a good thing, the old chieftain told himself, that means that they're going to the right direction. But strangely, no one, not even his best hunters have reported seeing or hearing the elves, as if they're only showing themselves just for him, as if they wanted to be seen only by him. Yet despite the lack of reports, a strange unease has settled itself in the heart of every soul in his band, a sense of vulnerability, not from the feeling of being watched per se, but from the sense of death and carnage that has accompanied them since they crossed the river.

As first even the weakest of the group could shrug it off easily, attributing it to the sock of loosing their ancestral home and the lost of so many lives. But it's gotten worse, the sense of unease has grown into a plague of fear ever since the scouts reported seeing a huge dust cloud in the east, followed by the tales of the nomads that have joined them, about war herds of beasts that have the upper bodies of human, but walk on cloven hooves with monstrous horns sprouting from their heads.

- Look! Over there!

- What is it?

- I see smoke! There must be a village near by!

- By the ancestors! We're save!

- Chieftain look! Smoke!

The ruckus caused Quang to snap awake from his contemplation. He looked to where the refugees were pointing at, and was surprised to see a column of black smoke slowly rising from just over the ridge up ahead. Then another, and another, and another, until half a dozen smoke columns stood grimly against the pale sky of early afternoon.

- Chieftain! We're saved! - A refugee that stood next to him proclaimed, then took a step forward to the direction of the smoke column, causing the others to follow.

- No, stop! - Quang commanded loudly. - We do not know what those smoke are!

- What do you mean?! - Another refugee asked, frustration was clear in his voice. - It means there are people there!

- We don't know that! - Quang protested. - It could be anything!

- How do you know that?! - A woman spoke out angrily. - Are you saying you know where we're going?!

- No! But Quetz told me...

- That monster?! You're listening to that monster?! How do you know you can trust him?! What if he's leading us to his lair to kill all of us for that witch?!

Murmurs, then shouts of agreement ruptured from the crowd that have gathered around the old chief, with his loyal hunters struggling to keep them back. The shouts kept getting louder and louder, calling for retributions for the dead, accusing Haru of being a witch that has summoned a demon upon them, then accusing the old chief of being a traitor. Quang tried desperately to calm the people to no avail, they were too consumed by fear and anger, fear of the unknown lands they're in, anger for the boy that they've falsely accused of cursing them to this. A sharp sound pierced through the oceans of noises, then a large thud caused the screaming to die down as the lifeless body of a hunter dropped to the ground, a pool of blood slowly expanding from the wound on his chest.

In front of him stood a youngster, barely older than Mitsuki, shakily holding on to the now bloodied spear, terrified eyes staring at the old chief for guidance like all of them have for countless times before. He stood there, barely able to keep his legs from shaking, mouth blabbering as if to plead to Quang. But answering his pleading wasn't the old chief, it was the entirety of the now dead silence refugees. The boy immediately dropped the spear and desperately turned, hoping to escape the condemning glares of his fellow tribesmen. But before he could even take a step, countless hands reached to him, grabbing, pushing, clawing, tearing, drowning his pitiful screams for help in a new wave of shouting.

- Murderer!

- Killer!

- Traitor!

- Witch!

- No! Let him go! - Quang bolted for the boy, shoving his way through the writhing sea of angry, scared and desperate people.

But it was too late for him. It was too late for the boy.

By the time the old chieftain has reached the now silence boy, there was little left of him but a pile of torn fabric and flesh soaked in blood and sweats. His assailants stood there, eyes widened in horror and regret, with some still clutching on the pieces of the unfortunate boy in their hands. Gods, what have they turned into? Quang asked himself, petrified in his spot as the terrified wailings starting to erupted from one of the people who've torn the boy to pieces. The circle of people started to panic, accusations were thrown and and pushed around as people tried to deny what they've done. They tried to pushed the claim of murder around, smearing each other with the blood on their hands, not willing to admit to the crime that they've committed.

- Enough! Stop!

Once again they were silence, all eyes now focused on the old chief again, who quietly walked toward the mangled corpse. He fell to his knees and looked around, at all the blood stained faces pointing at him. Friends. Family. That's what he called them, when they're at the village, when they're sane. Now he doesn't recognize any of them anymore, all he saw were blood stained faces, twisted with fear and anger, ate away by a sickness of the mind. Are these the people whom he hunted with, called friends and family, whom he has sworn to protect with his life?

- Look around you. - The old chieftain pleaded. - Have you not had your fill of death?

Silence greeted his words, silence befell the crowd as they look around, ashamed and terrified of what they've become. There were murmurs, questions, arguing, of what to do next, of where to go. For a brief moment, Quang felt relieved, something that he hasn't had the chance of experiencing ever since Quetz came to the village the other day. He backed away from the crowd, a silent queue for them to stop and rest, before sitting down and resting his back against the boulder.

- Chieftain. - A hunter approached, followed by several others that have stood by his side when the brief riot broke out.

- What is it? - Quang looked up, he recognized that look on the hunter's face, something was bothering him.

- Some of the lads and lasses have been sent out to scout the area of the smoke columns. - The hunter replied in hushed tones, not wishing to alert the other refugees.

- Have they returned? - Quang asked in equally quiet voice.

- No chieftain. - The hunter shook his head. - They've been gone since we left the last resting spot, but we haven't heard any reports from them. Do you think...something has happened to them?

- ...It's hard to say. - The old chief replied hesitantly. - We don't know anything about this place, so it's likely that they're just lost.

- So...what do you want us to do?

- ...Call up another scouting party, I'll lead them myself. - Quang stood up and clutched his axe. - The rest of you, protect the refugees and organize hunting parties.

- Yes chieftain.

As the hunters started to spread the words of his commands, Quang turned his eyes toward the smoke columns again and felt concerned. Whatever it was that's burning, it's still does, looming in the pale skies like dark giants overseeing that corner of the land.