That didn't deserve a response. He'd saved my life. I'd save his, that was the only honorable thing to do.

I moved him another two feet, but it took more time than I had.

This wasn't working. The hovercraft lay on its side several feet away, and I headed to it. I slammed my shoulder into the side, knocking it back flat on the ground. The control panel still glowed softly, and I hit the biggest button. The cart flared to life, rising into the air. I jumped on and steered it closer to Havi.

"There are too many of them." Sile sounded pushed. "Retreat to the entrance now!"

"Lenna, Kabi, go with them," I ordered as I jumped off the hover cart and lowered it to the ground. Without care, I tried yanking Havi back into the cart, but he just weighed too much.

Fuck it.

I tossed all my free stat points into strength, all 56.

Pain bloomed all across my back and spine, but I yanked Havi up onto the back of the cart. I crawled toward the panel and hit the button, eyes blurry as tears dripped down my face.

"We aren't leaving you!"

I shot off toward the light, barely focusing on the controls.

"She's coming," argued Kabi. "Fast."

"Hover cart." I eked out, as my vision narrowed. My eyes focused on the bright silver light keeping me awake. I aimed for it.

Everything blurred around me, but I didn't let go of the panel. My radar flared to life as I entered the fight. The Harvester attacking Kabi didn't even see me as the hover cart slammed into the back of it.

Everything went wobbly as I went flying from the front of the cart and crumbled into a mushroom.

Arrows slammed into a Harvester that turned my way, and that jolted me out of my stupor. The pain increased with each movement, but I reached into my pocket and slipped on the dark ring.

Connections flared outward to each of the Harvesters attacking my friends. Two people darted out in my direction, but I ignored them, instead touching the bonds with the Harvesters. The first I touched trembled as I ordered it home, using my fortitude. It twitched back, giving the person attacking it more room.

I repeated the action as my head pounded, ordering each of the creatures back. A few fled the fight, while the last three hesitated. I felt another connection touch them.

Someone tossed me over their shoulder, breaking my concentration from the Harvesters. Yet, the person carrying me didn't stop even as they entered a rock tunnel. The others followed and the bright silver light took over as the entrance sealed up.

Lenna entered almost last, searching, but stopped when she spotted me.

"Father!" Kabi's voice echoed down the stone tunnel as he caught sight of Havi, who stumbled in with Sile helping.

"Kabi?" Havi lifted his head, his eyelids fluttering. The two embraced as the whomever had been carrying me set me down.

Jalco smiled at me. "What did you do to them?"

"Who?" I growled as my stomach clenched.

"The Harvesters."

"Oh, I stole another ring. Gotta destroy it before we move deeper." I focused on that connection and realized that a Forger from a different connection had touched it. Yanking it off, I set it on the ground, breathing heavily.

My muscles still hurt, but I need food, sleep, and to get rid of this tracking device wrapped in a tempting ring. Flooding the crystal with energy I didn't really have, it melted, and the connections broke.

"Done." I wobbled as my stomach growled again. Saliva gathered in my mouth, and I quickly swallowed one of the last hunks of meat from my inventory. Then another, and finally the last.

"I can't stay here," said Havi. He yanked up the clothing on his left leg. A bright red rune glowed on his calf. "They slapped a tracking rune on me."

Sile and Jalco twitched, though Sile knelt to study it.

"Do any of the others have them?" Sile asked.

"Only me, because of my level." Havi frowned as he glanced at his son. "I was the highest of those recaptured."

"What about mom?"

"She wasn't in our group, though I feel she is still out there." He twitched as Sile poked at his leg. "Did Cekta make it north?"

"He is safe," said Kabi after a moment. "There is much to discuss."

"Like how the water tribe is joining the fight."

Sile stood up, shaking his head. "I can't remove that without you losing the leg. They somehow tied it in with magic I don't recognize."

Havi bowed his head to Sile. "I thank you for trying."

"Is there a different exit he can take, away from here?" I asked, struggling to deal with the pain. The silver light strangely helped.

"Yes, we need to move before someone can trace him within these rocks." Sile glanced at Jalco. "Rejoin the others and get them ready for the next event. I'll take them to the eastern entrance."

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

She nodded and took off down the hall with everyone but Kabi, Lenna, Havi, and me.

Sile took the lead, and we continued down the tunnel for a short distance, but branched off at a darkened section. The silver light followed Lenna.

"What did you do to yourself?"

"Honestly, I tossed a bunch of stat points into strength. Too many."

"Alex! what were you thinking?" said Lenna in a high-pitched voice.

"I wasn't going to leave him behind," I mumbled, closing my eyes at her tone.

"I thank you for that," whispered Havi. "You are honorable."

"Not at all," I replied with a smirk, trying to distract myself from the lingering pain and the idea that everyone around me smelled tasty. "I'll do whatever is needed to win a fight."

"Have you eaten anything?" asked Lenna.

"Some meat, not enough. Plus, nothing I've killed in ages." My stomach didn't growl, but it wanted more food.

"I think this is the longest you've gone without a heart," she whispered back.

"Is that a bad thing?" Kabi interrupted us. His voice came from above my head, the silver light outlining his face as he glanced between the two of us.

"Hopefully not." I shrugged. "More worrisome is that I lost my spear. A freaking Harvester took it with them when they fled."

I missed my weapon, and knew it had been part of my success with killing things. The crystal blade gave me an edge that others didn't have. Now, it was gone, and I was still seriously under-leveled for this planet.

My foot hit a rock, and I stumbled. Kabi looped an arm around me to make sure I didn't hit the ground. He smelled good, way too good, and my mouth watered again.

"Okay, we have a problem. I need to eat." I actually admitted it out loud.

Kabi pulled out some dried trail rations, but I shook my head.

"I need to hunt."

Sile glanced over his shoulder at me. "We don't have time for that."

"Doesn't matter," I argued, "things go badly with my class when I get this way." I swallowed, thinking of the time I'd lost while in the jungle. The things I'd killed and eaten without even realizing it.

"We will go with Havi wherever you're taking us," said Lenna, taking charge. "You can regroup with the others."

Sile appeared conflicted, but finally nodded his head. He picked up the pace.

"We attack next dusk," he said, then he stopped, touching the dead end appearing in front of him. A rune flared to life and shimmered in place.

"Good luck. I hope you will join us," he said, pointing to the exit.

Havi went first after nodding at him, followed by Lenna, though her silver light went out as she passed beyond the cave opening. Then Kabi and I followed.

More blue light greeted us as we exited out of a hillside surrounded by massive trees. Yet, the strange blue light of the deepest nights here appeared dimmer.

"How did we not know that was there…" whispered Kabi to his father. He studied the trees surrounding us. "We are close to our home, and this is a good hunting area."

"Lead the way," I said as my senses stretched out, now searching for anything big nearby.

Havi took the lead, traveling through the forest with ease. After a few moments, I felt something enter my radar. Havi knelt down in the dirt, pulling out his swords, but then they vanished into his inventory. He pointed in the direction of the creature I felt.

My fingers ached, and I ignored the pain as claws burst forth from both hands.

Kabi jerked back from my claws and gave Havi a confused nod.

Lenna had her bow out and motioned for me to take the lead.

I peered around a massive tree trunk and spotted a large creature eating bits off a mushroom. It reminded me of a giant deer, but green, and with six legs.

[Lumivor, Flash of light, Level 65, Prey, Unknown.]

I tucked myself into the shadow under a mushroom and crept closer. The creature stood on four legs while two more rested on the mushroom lid it snacked on. Horns glowed softly above its head, which was pointed away from me.

Reaching the mushroom it snacked on, I kept my movements slow as I approached from under what it ate.

Then I launched myself at it, claws stretched at its neck. Golden lines from both my hands hit it as it jerked back quickly, righting itself with its many legs. The head jerked in my direction and I closed my eyes just as it flashed bright white.

Then it sprinted away.

I leaped after it using my skill, opening my eyes as I landed on its back. The edges of my vision went wonky as everything in me screamed to rend and tear. Instead, I focused on cutting into the back of its neck with both claws.

It slumped to the ground.

[You have gained experience in combat.]

Moving before my brain connected the dots, I flipped the creature over and dug in with both claws, slicing into its belly. I shoved a bit of it into my mouth and swallowed without chewing.

The flavor wasn't something I'd eaten before, and I didn't know how else to describe it but wild. That gave me enough of a hold on myself that I didn't make a spectacle as I sliced, ate, and dug deeper for the heart.

The heart tasted the same as the rest of it as I shoved it in my mouth, chewing.

[You have devoured a Level 65 Lumivor and gained extra experience.]

Thankfully, my back was to the others as my stomach rapidly filled. Energy flowed through my veins, and I slowed down my feast, pushing through the haze of hunger.

I leaned back and just breathed, gaining control of the rest of me.

"Gonna share that?" asked Lenna, moving closer to me.

"Sure, but I don't have any knives, and I might have torn it up a bit." I had that weird sword, but I was pretty sure it poisoned things.

She chuckled, and I opened my eyes to find her next to me with her knife out.

"I can do this," she said with a smile and continued in a much lower voice, "You might want to wash your face."

At her advice, I took out my fountain crystal and washed my face and hands.

Kabi and Havi slowly approached, deep in conversation.

Lenna created stacks of meat, and I tossed it into my inventory.

"We can rest at our home," whispered Kabi, his eyes focused on the trees. "At least for a little while."

As we finished butchering the creature, the blue light vanished completely, and the forest darkened. The sounds within the trees softened.

Havi hiked through the massive trees with ease, weapons away. It didn't take long for us to approach another hidden burrow. The rune on the front glimmered as Havi traced something and then ushered us inside.

A damp smell filled the space, and after a few feet, it widened into a room with several tunnels branching off of it. Kabi led the way down the second one on the left. There weren't any mushrooms providing light down this way, then Lenna did something pretty. A silver orb appeared in the air, which had to be the light from before. It made something inside me happy.

Kabi glanced sharply at her.

"Only allies can see it," she whispered.

He nodded and continued on before stopping randomly and gesturing to one side of the tunnel. He touched it, and a doorway appeared.

All of us rushed inside to find a living room with pillows on the floor and coals burning in the center.

"What the…"

"Kabi?" asked a soft voice.

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