A large thorny bramble was in front of me. I stood resolute, it was time. Over the past many moon cycles my sanctuary had developed, filling with giant Elder trees along with other life native to the deep wilds. Time moved differently in nature, without the structure of society it flowed together, days and nights blending.

  My body had gone through changes, I stood a head taller, though based on my father, I still had some growing to do. Calluses adorned my hands and feet; whipcord muscles covered my frame. The wilds were the strictest of teachers, but as a result, I had been forged anew.

  I stood resolute before the Bramble, its many arms seemed to quiver as if in anticipation of its next meal.

  A high-pitched voice invaded my mind, ‘This is it, now you will die here today.’ The forest sprite bared its pointy teeth, bark-like skin crinkling as is cackled.

  Sometime after the first moon cycle, it had taken to visibly following me around, though most of the time it would still stay undetectable. It was an annoying presence I did my best to ignore. Although the sprite constantly predicted my death, it had warned me many times of danger. I wasn’t sure if I should thank or strangle the thing.

  “Why warn me of danger if the thought of my death makes you so happy?” My voice was rough from lack of use.

  “Hmph.” The sprite pouted giving no answer. Its tiny arms crossed, it stood on a giant mushroom cap.

  I turned back to the Bramble plant, this would be my first attempt at reaching the fruit while outside my sanctuary. Many moons had been spent practicing in my grove, always meeting with failure. At first, I would barely enter its reach before the whipping thorns would puncture my skin. I was stubborn, persisting, and now I had managed the feat with regularity.

  To make it to the fruit and back my reactions had been honed beyond what I thought possible. My speed and timing had to be precise, react to slowly and I would be plant food. It was a different kind of movement than when I stalked animals of the wilds.

  I stepped forward, I was in range. One of the plant's arms covered in thorns larger than my fingers rocketed towards me. I slipped to the side, disturbed air ruffled my hair. Furrows were torn in the ground, throwing soil airborne.

  Thorns swung towards me with blazing speed from all directions. I let my reflexes take over, twisting and turning nimbly, they whipped past a hairs width from my exposed skin. I dove over a low swinging bramble tucking into a forward roll under another. The thorny arms could no longer reach me at the plant's stem, the yellow fruit looked delicious.

  I grinned, heart pounding. looking over at the sprite I raised my eyebrows.

  ‘You are not out yet don’t be cocky.’ Its voice echoed in my head, it seemed disappointed as though it thought I cheated.

  I plucked several fruits off the plant, they gave off a strong citrus smell. Using my teeth, I peeled the skin, they reminded me of large oranges. Hours had passed since my last meal, meat from one of my kills. Snacking on the flies had long since become something I only did when I had no other options.

  The sweet tang of the fruit tasted incredible, my taste buds quivered with delight. Sitting cross-legged I indulged shucking the skins then breaking off pieces, I looked at the brambles above, they were waving as if waiting for me to try leave.

  I scratched my head, fingers getting caught in my knotted hair. “What are my chances of making it out while carrying fruit?” I knew the answer.

  ‘Death,’ it was a jubilant thought from the sprite. This time I had to agree, I would not try taking fruit back out with me. Giving the fruit one last longing look, I turned to the seemingly clear path, bones of dead animals crunched as I lunged forward. It might be some time before I found another of these plants.

  ‘You made it out..’

  “Don’t be so happy about it.” My voice dripped with sarcasm.

  The sprite might be a trickster and bother me incessantly, but it was the closest thing to a friend I had ever had.

  I felt a heaviness in the atmosphere, a slight dip in the sounds around me. Danger.

  *PUFF* The sprite disappeared as if in confirmation. A fickle friend I amended the thought.

  It was an overcast day, mist lapped at the edges of the clearing. I looked behind me, I was just out of range of the bramble. I Scanned my surroundings; the nearest elder tree was twenty paces away. The air was damp, through the gap in the foliage overhead grey clouds gathered.

  I could sense predators just outside my vision in the mist. Judging the distance to the nearest tree, I wouldn’t make it. I calmed my breathing and mastered the fear that tried to dig its ugly claws into me. The wilds had schooled me on the perils of fear, it did nothing but cloud judgment and give predators confidence.

  Silently, as though wraiths wolves passed through the mist. Their thick dark pelts glistened as they began to circle prowling closer. It was easy to pick out the packs alpha, I stared him in the eyes without blinking. I lowered my center of gravity and bared my teeth letting out a low growl, a language they would understand.

  I held my knife at the ready, it was even more rusted than when I had first acquired it, but still functioned. I circled matching the alphas pace, showing him I would not back down, he must believe I was not worth the trouble.

  With no warning he lunged jaws snapping towards me with a snarl, saliva dripped from his fangs. I jumped back just out of his reach my knife blurred leaving a gash on his snout. With a whimper, he backed up continuing to circle. His pack hung back prowling letting out their own snarls.

  I ignored the others, alpha taking all my attention. I did not break eye contact my teeth always visible. After circling each other for a while the wolf stopped, tilting its head back it let out a howl.

  *AWOO* The others answered.

  With a last look in my direction, the alpha turned back to the mist and, silent as they had come, the wolves were gone. I could feel the pressure in the atmosphere dissipate the birds began to sing, even the flies came out.

  The telltale buzzing of a fly drew near, they were dedicated I had to give them that. Almost as an afterthought, my hand shot out catching the fly, it filled my whole palm. I tightened my grip squashing it and tossed it to the side. I would not need to eat fly after the fruit, but they were still an annoyance.

  I learned to move by mimicking the deadliest of predators, I learned to become invisible when I did not want to be seen. When I needed to eat I could hunt using my hands or the weapons I had created and practiced with for endless days.

  I could be fast when needed, I ran to the nearest Elder tree vaulting over the roots in my way. Soon after reaching the base of the tree I had climbed to its lowest limbs. This was my favorite part, being weightless for just a moment.

  I jumped backward off the tree limb, tucking my legs into a flip when my body started to drop I uncurled grabbing a hanging vine. I swung building up momentum grabbing onto the next skinnier ivy. I moved through the trees at a speed impossible to replicate on the ground. The four-armed animals had taught me the trick of it.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  A group of birds was started by my movement taking flight in a tumult of noise and colors. Four-armed creatures regarded me with mild interest but made no move towards me.

  A massive Elder tree drew closer, it was enormous even by Elder tree standards. Its branches expanded out in all directions as though it was king of the forest. The other trees seemed to cower around it, all smaller by comparison.

  Releasing my hold on a vine I was airborne aiming for one of the large branches. I tucked into a forward roll distributing the pressure of the fall across my body. The branch was large enough for three carts to move along side by side.

  Following the limb, I walked down to the tree's trunk and began to climb higher. Soon I reached what had become my home of sorts. I had woven hanging vines together into a hammock, inside the hammock rested the griffin feather.

  A spear I had carved from wood along with a bow and arrows nestled inside a tree knot. Above there was a gap in the foliage so I could watch the stars at night. Every night before I went to sleep I reminded myself of my goal, I would hunt those who had murdered my parents. I would tear them limb from limb, in the end, they would beg for mercy and I would tear out their eyes in answer.

  In the past few days, the rhythm of the forest had changed, animals had begun migrating deeper. Rolling up my griffin feather I tied it with a vine, I then covered my weapons with a leaf. They would stay dry for when I came back for them, I would only keep my knife. I felt the drive to follow the animals, it was time to move on.

  ***

  I followed the sea of twinning roots north; A flood of animals traveled in the same direction, deeper into the wilds. I moved silently staying slow to a tree branch, bellow me sat a giant panther, its ears twitched nose sniffing the air.

  I was downwind, it could not pick up my scent, could not detect my movements. After a moment the magnificent creature pounced landing on a lower branch, its massive jaws closed on the back of a four-armed animals neck. It struggled but the panther’s jaw tightened.

  *CRUNCH*

  It stilled going slack – the panther gave its prey a final shake before moving off with the prize.

  My skin was tingling, I could feel a disturbance in the environment a power building further through the trees.

  *HREE!*

  A screech from above overpowered the other noises of the jungle, silence. Through a gap in the canopy above I could make out the body of a massive scaled beast as it flew, powerful wings sweeping down propelling it through the air. Puffs of thick smoke billowed from its nostrils. A dragon.

  I crouched where I stood, my mouth fell open. I had believed they only existed in fairytales, whatever was causing the disturbance in the wilds had managed to summon even a creature of such power.

  The sounds of the forest began to resume, tentative at first before building back to the usual chorus. I continued onward. A massive river crashed being fed by many smaller streams on the ground below. Through the trees up ahead I could see light, as I moved closer a deafening rumble amplified.

  I swung from a vine landing within the branches of an elder tree and walked out onto a limb into sunlight. Reaching out I used my hand to block the warm rays of light, giving my eyes a chance to adjust.

  The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight. The branch on which I stood hung over the edge of a cliff, the water from the river cascaded over the edge in a massive waterfall throwing up white mist where it impacted into a lake far below. I sat cross-legged taking in the scene. It would be a death sentence to climb down with all the animals below.

  I could feel the building of power making my skin tingle. It was coming from across the lake in what appeared to be ruins. The ruins were massive, a dilapidated stone bridge hung out over the water where most of it had worn away with time. Crumbling spires reached into the sky overtaken by vines, elder trees crowded the decrepit structures. A green and purple glow emanated from the entire area.

  Three dragons were perched on the elder trees, they were the largest creatures I had ever seen. All the animals seemed to be waiting for something, the glow continued to intensify hairs on my arm began to stand on end. A rumbling grew in volume even overshadowing the noise of the waterfall, the glow became blinding.

  *CRACKLE POP*

  The sound of the earth splitting and trees bending, branches broke from the forest and flowed with rock and earth to spiral into the air creating a maelstrom bellow me. Water from the lake was siphoned in massive amounts adding to the tornado. The green and purple glow merged with the cyclone.

  A face, body, and arms formed glowing with the magic of the wilds. The being formed of magic created a funnel with its hands turning to face the animals on the far side of the lake. The being’s chest expanded, it blew an endless stream of green and purple power through its hands. The magic pooled around the animals a mist of light distorting the air.

  My eyes were wide not daring to blink, once all the magic was expelled from the being, its ‘body’ fell apart. Rocks, branches, and water fell from where they had floated in the sky crashing into the lake below.

  On the far bank the animals began to change, their bodies expanded as they grew soaking in the magic around them. This was the magic of the wilds, the magic that the shamans wanted to control. I shuddered to think what they could accomplish if they ever achieved the goal. I had been to far away to soak in any of the power. A part of me wondered if the magic would make an apearance in my sanctuary.

  It was time, I could feel it in the air. My despair at losing my parents had dissipated with time, it had been replaced with a burning anger. I had learned what the forest had to teach me, I would return for my revenge. I turned walking to the south away from the cliff, the forest was oddly silent as I moved through it.

  A pack of wolves caught my attention below, they were among the few animals to ignore the magics call. Noses sniffed as they moved through the undergrowth, they had picked up a scent and were on the hunt. They headed in the same direction as me, I followed in the trees above.

  In a clearing stood a man wearing a leather jacket and breaches, the first human I had seen in all my time within the wilds. He had a bow slung across his back, dagger at his side. I boiled with fury, I would gladly watch the wolves tear apart a member of the Coille tribes. My teeth ground in anticipation.

  I moved closer for a better view, the wolves had entered the clearing beginning to circle. It took the man a long time to realize the danger. On seeing the wolves he let out a yelp, fumbling he pulled out his dagger, it shook in his hands. I could hear him mutter words under his breath, they were foreign to me.

  I was wrong, the man was not a member of the Coille, he did not speak our language. His hair was not the blond of my people, it was a short brown. He must be a hunter from across the mountains in Ziralia. Somehow, he had gotten lost, nobody traveled into the deep wild. My anger evaporated, I could not let him die, he had knowledge to share.

  ‘Let him die, humans do not belong here.’ It was the forest sprites thought, looking around, my ‘friend’ had not become visible. I ignored it, the man could not die, yet.

  ***

  “Gotta go to pay off the debt, gotta go risk your life so I can buy clothes Herve.” I mimicked my wife’s voice in my head. It was her fault I was here to begin with, lost in this godforsaken jungle. I had traveled here with a group of slavers but had been separated, when out of nowhere, the biggest beasts I had ever seen came running at the group.

  I had been wandering around lost for the past few hours. Everything looked the same, everything was humongous. I heard a buzzing in my ear, I turned towards the noise, it was a fly slightly smaller than my hand. I jumped. Calm down Herve it's just a fly, mighty big one, but just a fly. Taking out my dagger I tried to swat the thing. After a few tries I give up, couldn’t get anywhere close to hitting it.

  I groaned, I would never have resorted to crossing the mountains if I didn’t need the money. Adil Kesk had promised me it would be the easiest haul of my life, couldn’t turn him down. Fuck Adil, fuck my wife. It was all their fault. I kept walking, probably had been going in circles anyway.

  I entered a clearing, it looked different than the others, maybe I wasn’t going in circles. The slightest movement caught my eye, I turned to look. The biggest wolves I had ever seen were ten paces from me, I hadn’t heard a noise. My fingers didn’t seem to work as I fumbled for my dagger. Finally I drew it, my heart beat sped up hand starting to shake.

  I whispered a prayer, never been a religious man, but I was terrified. Not even my fear of heights could compare. Maybe if I had been more pious I would not need to pray now.

  The wolves snarled, mouths dripped saliva. The biggest one was closest to me, a deep rumble sounded in its throat teeth bared. There was a fresh gash across its snout.

  Something dropped down from above, I jumped back my poor heart couldn’t take much more of this.

  It was a boy, he stood blocking the wolves path. He couldn’t have been more than fourteen cycles old. Long blond hair was tied back using a woven cord. He was naked except for a pelt loincloth, his muscles were developed beyond what should be possible at his age. The color of his hair marked him as one of the savages, although from what I had learned they did not travel into the deep wilds.

  The boy stared down the wolves, better him than me. I turned prepared to run, I didn’t want to die. The gods had answered my prayer in the form of a sacrifice, no savage was worth my life. Before I moved, I was astonished, the wolves let out a series of howls then slipped back into the undergrowth disappearing. The lad had faced down the wolves and won.

  The boy turned towards me, my breath caught in my throat. He had the glowing yellow eyes of a cat, there was an intelligence to them that was unmistakable.